


Hello, My Old Heart

by QuantumChickpea



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Father and son bonding, Fluff, Happy Ending, Healing, Hurt and comfort, Kitchen Sex, Little Kitty on a Roof, Love, Making Love, Memories, Mentions of Torture Instruments, Porn With Plot, Prince!Adrien, Prince!ChatBlanc, Reunion, Royalty AU, Save Me, Servant!Marinette, Smut, Swordfighting, Taster!Marinette, blancweek2021, garden, remembering, sin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:49:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28856871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuantumChickpea/pseuds/QuantumChickpea
Summary: Chat Blanc was first known as Adrien Agreste, but that name was dead to him now. He no longer cared to hear that name and if anyone chose to even so much as speak it, he would send them to the keep. Adrien Agreste was a prince, a knight in shining armor, that obeyed his father’s every word and the only heir to the throne. But none of that mattered anymore when his father was long gone. Murdered and trialed for treason. (Blancweek2021)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 20
Kudos: 162





	1. My Prince

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lalunaoscura](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalunaoscura/gifts).



> **This was a drabble that turned into a short story. LOL Um, this was set a long time ago, but I didn't want to mess with thou, thee, thy, thine... so I chose to go with you and your. lol Anyway, enjoy!  
>  Also thank you, Luna, for helping to inspire some of this! I love you, woman! <3 **

Chat Blanc was first known as Adrien Agreste, but that name was dead to him now. He no longer cared to hear that name and if anyone chose to even so much as speak it, he would send them to the keep. Adrien Agreste was a prince, a knight in shining armor, that obeyed his father’s every word and the only heir to the throne. But none of that mattered anymore when his father was long gone. Murdered and trialed for treason.

He sat on his late father’s massive throne, swirling a glass of fine red wine. He wore a blue cloak with their coat of arms on it. His tunic was made of a white fabric with a blue doublet over it. His trousers were a matching blue with white leggings. His black leather boots came up to his knees. He never liked his poulaine shoes and had always refused to wear them, even when his father had threatened him.

His cupbearer lay dead on the floor from discovering that another bottle had been tampered with. Chat had shrugged when the man had dropped to the ground after taking a sip from the small pewter tasting bowl.

“Unhand me at once!” A female voice echoed through the castle and caught his attention.

One of his white ears flicked towards the sound and one side of his lips curled up to showcase one of his fangs. He brought his leg down from the arm of his throne and set his glass down. His adrenaline spiked as a woman with dark hair was thrown onto his floor. She landed with a grunt and her hands slapped down against the stone floor while her skirt flooded around her slender body.

Chat jumped off his throne and walked up to her with a swagger, his cloak flowing behind him like a majestic magic carpet. He watched her slowly peer up with a scowl. “And what have you brought me? A mouse?”

The woman spit at him and he crouched down in front of her. “Open your mouth, m’lady.”

She shook her head and he suddenly caught her chin between his index finger and thumb. “If you shall not speak then I shall throw you in the keep.”

She let out a loud sound as he threw her head to the side. Chat Blanc stood up and waved his hand, heading back to his ornate throne. A couple of his guards grabbed her arms, digging their fingers into her flesh, and began to lead her to the keep when she burst out.

“Wait! You no longer have a taster or cupbearer, yes?” She yelled out, hoping that it would save her from whatever he was going to do. She had heard enough rumors from the town to know that it would be horrid.

“And?” He slowly turned around to face her again. His cloak whirled around his body.

“I am an excellent taster. Trained since a babe.” She pulled against the two men, holding her in place.

“And your name?” Chat plopped into his throne and waited for her to answer, taking his wine glass back up to his lips. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place his finger on it.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” The woman answered with ease and hoped it was enough.

“Marinette- Marinette. Sounds familiar. Where are you from?” Chat raised an eyebrow at her.

“My father used to be a cook and taster in the Agreste castle, your grace.” Marinette licked her lips and waited for him to register what she had said.

Chat thought for a moment and the memory of a small girl running about the kitchen and with the other servants caught his attention. He seemed to remember, for a flicker of a moment, watching her work with the others and catching glimpses of her throughout the castle. He cleared his throat and waved his hand again, signaling for the men to listen to him.

The two men dropped her onto the ground, and she scrambled to stand up. Chat Blanc thought for a moment and set his wine back down. “Very well then. You shall prepare my supper and join me.”

Marinette grabbed her skirts and bowed, peering up at him through her bangs. She knew that Adrien was in there somewhere. He had to be. There was no way that he was gone. She remembered how he used to argue about learning his letters and that he was exceptionally good at his swordsmanship. The guards would speak of how good he was with a sword and bow when she was younger.

She licked her lips and shivered when he touched beneath her chin and raised her head. “You used to frequent this castle, did you not?”

“Aye.” Marinette nodded and searched his eyes for her old crush, finding them soulless yet full of pain. “You used to watch me do my duties.”

“Why have you come to see me?” Chat searched her gaze with his frozen blue gaze, and she chewed on her bottom lip. “Speak, peasant.”

“Tis ridiculous, your grace. Should I be off to your kitchen, then?” Marinette brushed her skirts down and went to leave, but he reached out and grabbed the back of her neck, holding her in place. “Yes, your grace?”

“You will leave when I have given you permission. Have I done so?” His voice was as ice cold as his stare and she gripped her skirts, feeling his fingers and thumb gently press against the sides of her neck.

“No, your grace,” Marinette whispered past her lips.

“Speak louder.” Chat’s voice came out harsher and she straightened up.

“No, your grace.”

“Now, enlighten me. Why have you come to my castle?” Chat swallowed hard and waited for her to speak. “No one has visited in years. Yet here you are, being thrown at my feet.”

She slowly peered over her shoulder with tears brimming her eyes and one slowly fell down her rosy cheek. “To see if the love of my life has truly perished, Adrien.”

He choked on spit and nearly hissed at his old name. A wretched name that he wanted to abolish. He took a moment to compose himself before speaking again. 

“Afraid so. Now, go to my kitchen and see to it that my supper is prepared with the utmost care.” Chat let her go, letting his nails linger on her sensitive skin as she walked away from him.

Chat Blanc walked back to his throne and took up his wine glass, downing it, and watching her hips sway as she walked to the kitchen. His hair fell in front of his eyes and he excused himself, walking another way to his kitchen to throw off his guards. Something about her intrigued him and the way she wasn’t that afraid of him was something that made it all the more amusing.

He opened the door to his kitchen, finding her bent over and looking through a barrel of vegetables. He shut the door and leaned on it, walked over to grab a red apple from a wooden table. She gasped and stood up when she heard the crisp sound of him biting into it.

Marinette slowly turned and looked him up and down. One of his boots were crossed over the other one, and he had his back against the tabletop. She swallowed hard as she watched him take another bite, closing her eyes when the crisp sound echoed around her again.

“You know, you’ll spoil your appetite if you keep eating, your grace.” She teased and grabbed a basket full of vegetables, carrying it to the table he was leaning against. She slammed the basket down, “Your late mother must have taught you that, hm?”

Chat scowled at her and threw the apple behind himself and spun on his toe to be in front of her, pinning her against the table with his hands on either side of her waist.

He peered down at her with a devilish grin, “And what do you know of my late mother?”

“A great deal, your grace.” Marinette remembered spending a few moments with her, while working with others to tend to her in her time of need. “I was with her maids when she had taken ill. She shared many stories.”

Something in his eyes changed and for a moment she watched them flash as green as the finest emeralds before returning to rich sapphires. “I- twas not permitted to visit her.”

“I am aware, your grace.” Marinette softened her expression and held up an apple. “You still steal these from the cook, I see.”

A smirk fell onto his lips, one so familiar that it warmed her heart, “Perhaps.”

Marinette’s smile turned down and her lips parted when he leaned down, his gaze locked on hers, to take a bite of the apple in her hand. She swallowed hard and bit her bottom lip to hold back a whimper as she heard the loud crunch of him taking a bite. He brought the apple piece into his mouth with his tongue and nodded towards her.

“Go on, have a bite.” Chat chewed on the piece he had stolen from her apple and the idea of the serpent in the garden of Eden didn’t go over her head. “You know you desire to.”

Marinette glanced at the apple like it was poisoned. How his lips had graced it and if she were to take a bite herself, then it would be like kissing him. Kissing Adrien, a man that she had dreamed of doing that and more since she was a little girl.

“You are my taster, hm?” Chat reached out and played with a strand of dark hair that had escaped from her styled hair.

“Yes, your grace.” Marinette slowly brought the apple to her lips and pressed her lips to the edge of the bite mark with her eyes locked on his, before taking the most tender bite.

The corner of his mouth curled up on one side as his gaze smoldered. She brought the piece of apple into her mouth and licked her lips before chewing it. It was the sweetest apple she had ever tasted and suddenly her body felt like it was more on fire. Not just by his proximity, but because her lips had touched his in a way. She had always wondered how Eve had felt in the luscious garden and at that very moment, she felt just like she knew. Felt like she had taken part in a grave sin.

“How is it?” Chat searched her gaze, and she heard his nails run along the wooden surface of the table, repetitively.

“Delicious,” Marinette whispered as her skin warmed and flushed a deep rose from her cheeks to her breasts. His gaze ran from hers to her breasts and she suddenly felt like she was in danger.

He took one hand from the table to run his fingertip up the side of her skirts, playing with the fabric. “Why waste your time on a dead man when you can have the very much alive one in front of you?”

Marinette shook her head, “Surely, he is not dead.”

“I can assure you, love, he is more than dead.” Chat let the words out from his gritted teeth in irritation. “He was put in the ground years ago.”

She grabbed the knife behind herself and hid it behind her back, “If he is truly dead then why can I do this?”

Marinette quickly sliced the back of his hand, causing him to leap back with a hiss. “Do you not bleed?”

Chat glared at her and grabbed a cloth to wrap around the wound, tightening it with his teeth, to stop the bleeding. “That proves nothing other than that you are ill mannered for a woman!”

Marinette dropped the knife back onto the counter, walking up to him and placing her hands on his chest. His eyes widened as she pushed him towards the hearth, knocking his back into the pot over the fire.

“Perhaps, your grace, can teach me a lesson.” She panted and searched his gaze.

Their eyes switched between each other’s lips and gazes for a while, getting lost in one another. Tension and passion built up between them. Chat licked his lips and suddenly growled, grabbing her hips and lifting her to slam her down onto a counter. Marinette panted and lunged at him, grabbing his doublet and yanking him closer, capturing his mouth with her own in a hungry kiss.

Chat panted and groaned against her lips, running his hands along her dress, and ripping it from her body. She gasped and shoved his doublet from his shoulders. Chat let it fall to the floor, as he ripped at her stays and undergarments. He panted and held her cheeks in his hands, searching her eyes for a moment and getting lost in them. They were still filled with wonder like they were before as a child, but something darker resided within them. Something more mature. She had grown up and he had missed it. Had been left behind.

Marinette licked her lips and gripped his trousers with her thighs spread for him. Chat smirked and pulled her closer to kiss her hard again, before hastily removing the rest of his clothing. He picked her up and swung her around to slam her against a wall, knocking pans from the hooks. She gasped and panted, as he paused to gaze into her eyes again. They flashed to emeralds again, and she licked her lips with a warm smile. She ran her hands along his muscular pecs and took in a scar that sat above his left one.

“What happened?” Marinette peered down and leaned in to press her lips to it.

“Someone broke my heart.” Chat grabbed her wrist and brought her hand to his lips to gently kiss it.

“Who would do such a thing?” Marinette peered up to catch his gaze.

“The very woman beneath me, right now.” Chat ran a hand along her cheek and leaned in to kiss her hard before entering her.

Marinette gasped against his kiss and gripped his pecs in her hands, digging her nails into his muscles. Chat growled against her lips and felt her hips begin to move. He ghosted his hand behind her neck and gripped it, holding her in place to thrust into her harder and faster. She gasped and moaned as his tongue ran along hers, while his throbbing cock rubbed against her swollen bundle of nerves and made her toes curl.

He broke the kiss and yanked her face to his shoulder as he rested his chin on hers. His breathy moans caressed her ear and her hands slammed down onto his biceps, gripping them as she got closer. He turned his head and parted his lips against her neck, biting it hard before sucking on her aching skin. She cried out and came around his cock, milking and teasing him further. He thrusted into her hard and stilled, letting her clench around him as the waves of her orgasm burst through her.

Chat waited for her to come down, pulling away to steal a kiss from her swollen lips. He began to move within her again, chasing his own orgasm. The vegetables rolled off the table and fell to the floor as he slammed a fist down onto the counter and pumped into her harder. He panted and suddenly gripped her hips, yanking her closer and pulling out right as he was about to cum within her. God, how he wanted to cum within her, but he knew that it would have been a grave mistake.

Marinette panted as she watched him pump his hand along his slick cock, watching it pulse with each release onto her inner thigh. She licked her lips and his satisfied gaze locked with hers as he slowed his strokes down. He searched her gaze and let go of himself, waiting for her to do something. Anything. He wasn’t picky.

“The man that I loved tis alive. Just a fair bit broken,” Marinette whispered and reached up to graze his cheek with her hand. “Adrien, I know you are in there. Somewhere. Come home to me.”

Chat slowly closed his eyes and turned his head to graze her palm with his swollen lips before nuzzling it. He turned his gaze back to hers and held her wrist gently in his hands before uttering, “Save me.”

**Songs I wrote to:**

[ **Hello My Old Heart by The Oh Hellos** ](https://youtu.be/BeGU_em4wgQ)

[ **From Eden by Hozier** ](https://youtu.be/JmWbBUxSNUU)


	2. Day 4: Breaking More Than My Heart

Marinette stood in the kitchen, pouring her soul into making a meal for Chat Blanc. She had worked all day out picking herbs, spices, and gathering a swan for the dishes. Then, she had come in to turn it all into something. Her father had taught her many things as a child, one being how to make the most delicious food that they could create. It was a hidden talent that she had since she was small. Something that she could do well.

Her mother had perished during childbirth and she had always dreamed that she had met her. Her father always told her that she would have loved her because she was exactly like her in many ways. She sighed and finished up supper, putting the items onto dishes for Chat.

Marinette wiped her hands on her skirts. Normally the kitchen of a castle would be full of bustling servants and people with duties to help bake and cook, but this one was empty. She assumed he must have gotten rid of them all. Which meant this only made her life that much harder. She took a deep breath and carried the courses out to the massive dining table.

Chat sat at the table drinking his wine and speaking with guards about how much he disliked people in the keep. It seemed to be his go to conversation until she would set the table. She didn’t know why the man never spoke of anything but hatred and negative things, but she really couldn’t blame him for being so broken.

He peered up at her and a dangerous smirk appeared on his full lips. “Ah, there you are. What have you provided me with today?”

“Swan and vegetables with bread, your grace.” Marinette grabbed her skirts and curtsied, waiting for him to respond.

“Come. Join me at my side.” Chat kicked the chair beside him away from the table, and she stood up straight to sit down beside him.

Marinette took his fork from him and sighed, taking a bite of swan from his plate. She knew it wasn’t poisoned. She had made it herself and she wouldn’t do that to him, but clearly his trust was lacking.

Chat watched her for any signs of being ill before taking his fork and stabbing a vegetable holding it out to her. She stared at him with a blush, gazing around at his court.

“Go on then.” Chat gestured with his fork and she swallowed hard.

She leaned in and grabbed the bite from his fork. She chewed and took a moment. “Tis good, your grace.”

“Very well then.” Chat cut some of the swan on his plate and took a bite, letting the spices and herbs settle onto his tongue. “Rather delicious.”

“Thank you, your grace.” Marinette smiled and tried to look poised beside him.

“Did your father teach you?” Chat stabbed a potato and brought it up to his lips.

“Yes, your grace.” Marinette licked her lips and tried to not focus on how her stomach rumbled.

“Are you hungry? Surely, you did not eat.” Chat poked a piece of swan and held it out to her. “Eat.”

Marinette shook her head and chewed on her bottom lip. “I shouldn’t.”

“I insist.” Chat smiled and something about it was different than before.

She parted her lips and wrapped them around the bite of meat, taking it into her mouth with a soft hum. “I do miss my father’s cooking.”

“Your father was a good man. Tis a shame my father rid the castle of him ages ago. I should have loved to have him here still.” Chat stabbed a carrot harder than he had intended to, his knuckles turning white around the utensil.

“Twas not your fault, your grace.” Marinette touched his fist, and he licked his lips and sighed.

“Perhaps not, but my father was still my flesh and blood.” Chat grabbed his knife and sliced it along his palm, closing his fist, and dripping the blood onto the tablecloth. “You told me so. I am very much alive, even if I erase the name. Until I perish, I will still be an- an- never mind.”

He flipped his knife and stabbed it into the table, leaving it standing on its sharp tip. “Never mind, shall we finish our meal so that I may make more decisions for the town.”

Marinette wanted to mend his hand and help him, but she didn’t know how. She had no idea how to make him come back to her. He was too full of pain. The bad outweighed the good, and she needed to figure out how to bring him back.

“Shall we take a stroll through the garden?” Marinette hoped that he would agree. She wanted to get him alone, away from his father’s guards.

“Why ever would we do such a thing?” Chat raised an eyebrow at her. “I have far too much to accomplish.”

“Taking a moment to breathe is always a lovely idea.” Marinette touched his arm and he peered down at her hand with widened eyes.

He ripped his arm from her hand, and she sighed. He had done a complete one-eighty since they had played in the kitchen. She felt like her touch burned his skin and no matter how hard she tried, he wouldn’t let her in. He had put up the highest walls with the best guards that their currency could buy and she couldn’t storm it.

“Fine. I shall entertain your idea.” Chat sighed and finished his meal.

Marinette took his plate to the kitchen and went to her chamber to get ready to walk through the garden. She had barely finished getting ready when a knock sounded on her door. Marinette rolled her eyes and opened the door, finding Chat standing there.

“I have yet to explore the gardens since my mother’s death.” Chat worried his bottom lip and she warmly smiled, grabbing his forearm in her hands.

“Allow me to reintroduce you two then.” Marinette led him out of the castle and down to the garden.

Purple and white wisterias hung down from the overhang as it opened up to elegant topiaries and overgrown rose bushes. It was like a dream and it also needed a lot of work.

Chat Blanc held his hand out, catching petals as they fell with a blank expression like he could care less. It had been so long since he had gone out there. So long since he had seen the garden that his mother had insisted on having. To be honest, he had been afraid to venture out to it again. Too many memories of being a child with her. Too many fractals of her smiles and laughs before it was taken over by coughs and tears.

“Your mother loved this garden.” Marinette sighed and ran her fingers along the flower bushes. “Tis sad to see it overgrown like this. Although, I am sure that it can be mended easily. It just needs a bit of love.”

Chat swallowed hard as memories of his mother and him flooded his memory. Memories of her sneaking him out to play like she had felt a kid should.

“My mother would sneak me out here to play as a child,” Chat spoke quietly, and Marinette nearly missed it.

“Mm-hm. She was fond of children being able to play. She would always speak of children needing to have a bit of fun even if society has deemed it to be inappropriate.” Marinette giggled and plucked a white flower, spinning it between her fingers, as she walked back towards him with swaying hips. “I used to dream of what it would be like to be in Eden and I always felt that this must be what it is like when I came here. Though, not often. There were duties to be done.” She reached up to place the flower in his paled golden hair. “You had them too.”

“Too many. Still do, I am afraid.” Chat took the flower from his hair and flicked it across the garden.

Marinette watched it land in the pond, sending slight ripples through the water, and she nodded. “I see. Well, I shall not keep you then.”

Chat tried to ignore how he felt surrounded by his mother in the garden. He tried to ignore that he felt like she was whispering to him and trying to pull him out of the waves of disaster and pain. He didn’t want her. He didn’t want to be helped, even if he had told Marinette to.

“Marinette.” Chat stopped her from leaving with his hand held out to her.

“Yes, your grace?” Marinette turned around to stare at him, watching how the fallen petals swirled around him and for a moment she thought she saw Adrien instead. But it quickly faded away as fast as it had come.

“Do-” He had no idea what he was going to say. His words had left him.

“Yes?” She walked closer to him and hoped he was coming back.

“Do you think that my mother is watching?” Chat swallowed hard as he thought about it.

“I think… she never left.” Marinette warmly smiled and ran her hands down his doublet to smooth it out, stopping to play with a button.

“What do you mean?” Chat peered down at her slender fingers on his button, fiddling with it.

Marinette slowly peered up to meet his saddened gaze, “Your mother lives on in your heart.”

“My heart has frozen over.”

Marinette placed one hand over his heart, “If it is merely frozen over then it just needs a bit of warmth. The forest is not dead all year. Eventually, the sun comes out to warm its leaves and streams. The forest rebirths into something wonderful again with spring. The flowers bloom and the leaves green. The streams flow and trickle with beautiful waters. Much like our hearts. The memories and pain may never take their leave, but we can heal with time. Just takes a bit of love and warmth. Someone to tell us that everything will become well again.”

Chat swallowed hard and touched her hand, searching her gaze and struggling to not let tears fall. Why was she not running? Why was she still here? Why was she saying everything that she was? He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve anything she was telling him, and he knew he had to prove it. He had to prove that he was as bad as they say in the town. She was getting too close.

“You know what my father told me?” Chat took her hand from his chest and she raised an eyebrow at him as he walked away with his hands behind his back.

“I am sure he told you many things.” Marinette didn’t know what he was getting at.

“He told me how useless your father was in the kitchen. How much he loathed the man and his subpar cooking.” Chat peered up at the wisterias.

“Yes, well he was not too fond of father.” Marinette sighed and walked towards him again. “But his grace rarely enjoyed the company of anyone except your mother.”

“My father also spoke of you.” Chat slowly turned to face her and she swallowed hard.

She knew what was coming and she wasn’t prepared for it. He was spiraling backwards, and this experiment had only turned south. She took a deep breath and prepared herself.

“And?” Marinette cringed as she spoke the word.

“He was correct. You are good for nothing more than a mistress.” Chat’s words sliced through her heart and her bottom lip quivered.

“You do not mean that!” Marinette stormed towards him and he glared at her as she held up her hand about to smack his cheek.

“I would think wisely before you choose to do such an action to your king.”

“I do not see a king or a prince, but a scared little boy,” Marinette spit the words at him and ran back to the castle.

Chat growled beneath his breath as he watched her run from him. He still considered himself a prince, but he needed to say something stronger. While he was now the King, he didn’t want it and so he kept his title as prince within the castle. And while he was terrified of being alone, as he was, he wouldn’t go as far as saying he was a small child. He had grown and become mature because he had had to. There wasn’t another option. And if he let her get close, then she would know how truly broken he was and he couldn’t do that to her. He couldn’t be a burden for her.

*******

Marinette laid on her bed and sobbed into it. She just wanted Adrien back. She wanted the boy that she grew up watching in secret back in her life. She wanted the man that had been in the kitchen the other day back. But right now, he was nowhere to be found. She sniffled and got up, visiting her vanity to wipe the tears from beneath her eyes. She had to clean up his chamber among other duties around the house.

It was the last duty that he had put on her list for the day. She had no idea how he lived alone with no one to keep up on housekeeping. It was more work than one person could handle alone. She knew that it wasn’t his fault that he had obliterated everything, but a few guards. That he had done away with most of the servants because he was afraid of hurting anyone. His heart was broken after his father had been trialed and his name had been soiled. Not only that, but he had been shoved onto the throne with little time. The whole town had erupted into questions over the late King.

Adrien hadn’t been ready to deal with it and she knew that. She knew that it had been too much too soon. He had been trained since birth to do his father’s bidding, but that had not prepared him for something such as this. So, the man had shoved everyone away and locked himself away with few guards. Ones he trusted since he was a child.

She took a deep breath and brushed her trembling hands down her skirts and put on a fake smile. She could do this. She had to do this. She had been told that no one could change him back but her. There was something about her that would make his mind flip back to being the kindhearted boy that he had always been. She felt more tears threaten to fall and she reached up to wipe them away.

“Seize your sobbing, Marinette. You are merely being silly.” She rolled her eyes at herself and walked out of her chamber, making her way to his.

Guards whispered near the door and she stood and waited for them to let her inside. They stepped away from the double doors and she opened them, finding Chat sitting on a chaise lounge.

She gasped and about turned around to leave when he stopped her, “Are you not going to wash my items?”

“I thought you would be in your study.” Marinette cleared her throat, as he stood up and walked over towards her in only a tunic and a pair of trousers.

“Tis true that I should be making decisions, but alas, here I be.” He spread his hands out and relaxed them beside his thighs on the cushion. “So, feel free to wash up around me.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and walked over to his bed, stripping it to begin to get it ready to be laundered. She worked around him, ignoring how his eyes seemed to follow her every move.

“Do you really intend to watch me?” She peered over at him as she placed new linens onto the bed.

“Would you rather I helped?” Chat raised an eyebrow at her and she scoffed at him.

“I would rather you were more of a gentleman,” Marinette mumbled under her breath as she fluffed his pillow.

“Pardon me?” Chat stood up and walked over towards her.

Marinette sighed and let her hands rest on the bed before she stood up straight, “Do you know what your mother would speak to us every morn?”

“Enlighten me.” Chat set his jaw, and she knew that he didn’t want to hear it.

“Every morn, she would come gather the children to tell them a tale. Usually, one with a moral story.” Marinette shrugged and went about the room, finishing up other duties.

Chat Blanc watched her with no words, mostly because he didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to talk about his late mother that had passed away from an illness. He didn’t want to venture into the pain that still gripped at his heart and made it hard to breathe, hard to live.

“Have you heard of The Songbird?” Marinette opened his curtains that appeared to have not been parted in God knows how long.

“I can not say that I have.” Chat gave in and sat down in a chair, grabbing a cup of wine. He held it out to her, and she sighed, grabbing a tasting bowl from the bag hidden by her skirt.

She took the bottle and glass, pouring some into the bowl and tasting them for him. “Tis good, your grace.”

She passed them back and he took a long sip from the glass. “Enlighten me.”

“Once there was a songbird, that was free to fly about the land. A knight was wandering through the forest and came upon a beautiful melody. The most beautiful one he had ever laid his ears upon. He peered up to find a golden songbird on a branch. The gorgeous little thing sang and sang. The knight thought that his maiden would love such a prized possession so, he captured it in a cage.” Marinette sighed and folded a few more items.

“Seems quite ridiculous.” Chat scoffed and rolled his eyes, drinking more wine.

“The knight brought the little bird home to his maiden and presented it to her. She was quite delighted, and of course, she wanted to hear the bird sing.” Marinette leaned forward a bit with an awkward smile.

“And did the damned thing sing?” Chat leaned back in his chair with his forearm draped over the arm of it.

“He tried to make the songbird sing. He tried everything he could ponder up, but nothing seemed to work. He failed in every way. His maiden became quite upset and questioned why he would present a broken gift. He told the tale of how he had come upon the little bird. How beautiful the bird had sung in the forest.” Marinette sighed and sat down on the chaise lounge. “For days, he would shake the cage and demand for that poor bird to sing. But the bird would do nothing but sit on the small perch made from a twig in this gilded cage. He called it useless and unworthy, pathetic, imperfect. The poor thing dropped its head and became sadder. Trapped, it’s beautiful golden plumage dulled to a pale butter.”

Chat moved on to tipping the wine bottle to his lips, ditching the glass onto the table beside his chair. He didn’t want to hear more of this story. He had had enough of this silly game.

“The knight became angry and grabbed the cage, taking it outside. His maiden had followed him, wondering what the commotion was about. The knight opened the cage, and the little bird was shy. It would not budge from its gilded cage, feeling like it was nothing more than an imbecile bird. Too damaged and imperfect. Unloved and unwanted. But the sunshine warmed its wings, comforting it, and coaxing it from its cage. The poor thing began to gently flap its wings, before taking off. It landed on a branch somewhere in the forest and began to sing its sweet melody again. For how can a trapped bird sing?” Marinette searched his expression and watched his eyes flash to emerald before shifting back to sapphire again.

**Songs I wrote to:**

[ **Guillotine by Jon Bellion ft. Travis Mendes** ](https://youtu.be/h2ymJcCwS_s)

[ **Milk & Honey by Jessarae** ](https://youtu.be/Zkl7zd026GU)

[ **Stones Around The Sun by Lewis Watson** ](https://youtu.be/R2nZnSot-is)

[ **Featherstone by The Paper Kites** ](https://youtu.be/M0IDiVQxZYg)

[ **Haze by Amber Run** ](https://youtu.be/hL0hwXltDog)

[ **Top of the World by Patty Griffin (where Songbird idea came from. My husband loves this song.)** ](https://youtu.be/MK4xyJhIAm4)


	3. Day 5: Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This chapter is really... long. Sorry about that. haha**

Chat Blanc sat at his desk, looking over paperwork. He had so many things to look over that all of the peasants wanted. When they had learned that the king had returned, they had bombarded him with issues to solve. He threw the last paper down and picked up his glass of whiskey, taking a sip. He remembered what had happened before he was born. He had been told the story long ago enough, but the woman that he had been betrothed to was long gone. He had shoved her away when his father had passed, waiting for a certain woman to return. The very one that was driving him insane now.

He stared at an old painting of his father and mother and got lost in the memory of the story he was told. The pact that was made before his birth and the one that he had broken.

_Gabriel poured over the contract with a quill in his hand. His steel framed glasses fell down his nose as he went to work signing the contract to bind Chloe Bourgeois to his son, Adrien Agreste. Audrey would give birth soon and they had already decided that they would wed to form an alliance between France and England._

_Gabriel cleared his throat with Emilie’s hand on his shoulder as he passed the paper and quill to Andre. He watched as the stout man signed his name on the dotted line._

_“Excellent. The deal is done. Once Chloe is born along with Adrien, we shall prepare for them to wed when they come of age.” Gabriel took the paper and got up to lock it away in a heavy iron trunk._

_“And she will stay in the castle at the age of five under your protection, yes?” Andre searched the man’s cold grey eyes._

_“Of course.” Gabriel nodded and sat back down. “Now, let us talk about our next course of action._

Chloe had been born in spring, while Adrien had been born in the fall. The births had been hard on the women, but they had beat the odds and survived it.

Chloe had been free to roam the gardens and go out to see the markets. The tight hold on her was looser than Adrien’s. She had more freedom to go where she wished. She experienced trade, men, women, clothing, food, and fresh air. She had been free to go horseback riding and to see the lake down the way. Free to feel the grass beneath her bare feet and taste the chilled clear water of a spring.

Adrien was never allowed to do those things. He had been locked tightly inside of The Agreste Castle, forced to learn by reading books. Mostly the _Bible_. He learned to write properly, to have good manners, and how war worked. The only time he got to go out was in the courtyard when he had to train with swords and bows. He loved Armand D'Argencourt. He would tell him amazing tales from his stories of war and sparring adventures. He had treated Adrien like a son more than his own father.

_Adrien raised the bow and pulled back on the arrow, peering down it to aim at his target. His thoughts went to a girl with flowers in her dark hair and blushing cheeks in a pastel pink gown. He suddenly lost aim and the arrow flew past the target._

_“You need to focus, Adrien! Where is your head?” Armand walked past the target to fetch Adrien’s arrow. “AGAIN!”_

_He rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and grabbed another arrow, placing it on top of his curled fist and aiming again._

The first time he saw Marinette Dupain-Cheng was when he was five years old and she was brought in as one of Chloe’s ladies before his father had gotten upset with his plans being foiled by her. Before that caused his father to demote her name to a mere servant’s level, where he punished her family by making her father a cook and her a servant of the castle. But when she had gotten out of that carriage, he had never seen a girl as beautiful as her and now? Now he loathed himself more than anything else in his life. It had been his fault. It was all his fault.

_The echo of a carriage crushing a dirt road made five-year-old Adrien perk up. He was excited to see the girls he would be able to call friends. He never had friends other than Chloe and he craved more._

_He watched the black carriage come to a stop and the foot soldier opened the door. His eyes widened as he stared at a little girl in a pastel pink gown with flowers in her midnight hued hair. She froze as she peered at him, a blush forming on her cheeks, before she quickly peered down with her hands clasped in front of herself. She was so shy, and he looked down with a matching blush._

_“Adrien? Say hello to Lady Dupain-Cheng, Lady Cesaire, and Lady Raincomprix.” Emilie touched his shoulder gently and he slowly peered up through his messy golden hair with sparkling emerald eyes._

_Adrien bowed and watched them all spread the skirts of their dresses to do the same. He stood up straight and kept his eyes on Marinette as she walked past to greet Chloe. Adrien slowly turned to stare at Marinette as all of the girls giggled together. His heart raced in his chest and his face felt warm._

_“Adrien, dear. Are you feeling ill? Maybe you should lie down. I’ll have someone fetch the physician.” Emilie crouched down to cradle Adrien’s blushing face, brushing her thumbs along his warm cheeks before touching the back of her hand to his forehead._

_“Mother, I want to play.” Adrien stared past his mother at Marinette._

_“You will have plenty of time to play, love. Come, I’ll have one of your guards take you to your room.” Emilie stood up and took his hand, leading him over to a tall man with broad shoulders._

_Adrien peered up at the man and looked down at the ground, following him to his room._

Chat Blanc sat back in his chair with a sigh, ignoring all of the requests on his desk. He didn’t want to deal with them, not when his memories were flooding through him and making him feel far worse than he did before. It was like everything was suddenly coming back to him and it made his heart ache more in his chest.

*******

Marinette crouched near the river, washing laundry in the cold water. She remembered being a kid and when she had first saw Adrien. How her heart had sprung in her chest and beat hard. How much she had wanted to play with him at the mere age of five but hadn’t been allowed to. She softly smiled and became sad at the memory of after she had met him. She had never blamed Adrien for his father demoting her name to nothing. It hadn’t been his fault, even if he blamed himself. They had made the decision together. This was the price they had to pay.

_Marinette giggled and jumped up and down with the other girls before calming down to watch a sad Adrien walking into the castle._

_“Is Adrien not going to play with us?” Marinette sweetly spoke to Alya._

_“I heard Queen Emilie say that he was not well,” Alya whispered to Marinette and watched her friend’s shoulders slump. “What is the matter?”_

_“I hope he is alright.” Marinette hid in her hair when he glanced back at her and weakly waved over his shoulder. She brought her fingers to her lips and waved at him, watching him face forward and disappear into the castle._

_“Adrien spends a lot of time in the castle. Studying. Mother told me that it is important for princes to learn how to rule, just as we must learn.” Chloe interrupted them and tugged them towards the castle. “Come! Let us go play in my room!”_

_Marinette reluctantly was dragged into the castle by an overly eager little girl with a massive head. She rolled her eyes and giggled once Alya tried to make it more fun for her._

She finished up washing more items before putting them all into a basket to carry them over to dry them. She wiped her hand against her forehead and set the basket down on the grass. If only she could remind him of how they had first met and convince him that it had not been his fault. None of this had been his fault, but his father’s alone.

*******

Chat Blanc became irritated at the thought of not being able to play with them that day. How he had spent all day in bed, reading some classical book that he didn’t want to read. How he had missed out on so much until he learned how to escape from the castle. He furrowed his brow and slammed down another paper, rather than reading it. He ran a hand through his dull hair and gripped it hard in frustration.

Marinette had always distracted him, especially when he had worked with Armand doing his knight training.

Chat swallowed hard and let go of his hair to grab his bottle of whiskey again, getting lost in the memory of when he finally did get to play with Marinette. They were seven years old at the time. How much he loved her laugh and her warm smile. How much he loved watching her spin in a circle, causing the skirt of her dress to flare out around her in gorgeous waves.

_“Dance with me!” Alya held out her hand and Marinette got up to spin around._

_Marinette giggled as Adrien watched her from across the room spin in a circle and be silly. The girls grabbed hands and spun together, skipping._

_“Come on, Adrien. Join us!” Chloe let go of a hand and held it out to him._

_Adrien shook his head and went back to writing. “Mother says I have to finish my letters.”_

_Marinette sighed with a warm smile and let go of Alya and Sabrina’s hands. She chewed on her fingers and walked up to him with the skirt of her dress in her other hand. She stopped in front of him and watched him slowly peer up and blush._

_“Um… Prince?” Marinette’s voice came out small and quiet._

_“Yes, Lady Dupain-Cheng?” Adrien set the quill down on the paper and stared at her curiously with blushing cheeks._

_“Marinette.” Marinette corrected him and watched him hide in his hair. “Mari is fine as well. I do not mind.”_

_“Mari- Marinette.” Adrien tested her name on his tongue and swallowed hard, blushing more._

_“Um… would you like to play? It would make me happy if you joined us. I mean, you do not have to dance. We can draw? Play ball outside in the courtyard. You choose.” Marinette smiled at him and sat down on the floor beside him. “What are you writing?”_

_“I choose?” Adrien was still lost on the concept of being able to choose something._

_“If you wish. I just-” Marinette peered away and drew circles on the stone floor with her finger. “-want to play…” She peered up at him with pink cheeks. “... with you.”_

_Marinette peered up at her giggling friends and laughed as she watched them run around and play tag. Adrien got lost in the way she clapped and giggled at the girls._

_“Looks like fun, does it not?” Marinette sighed and slowly peered over at Adrien with blushing cheeks._

_Adrien swallowed hard and peered between her beautiful face and his letter. “I want to play, but…”_

_“Your mother wants you practicing to be King.” Marinette filled in for him and watched him nod. “It will only be a moment. Play one round of tag?”_

_Adrien thought for a moment and brushed his thumb along the corner of the paper. He could play one round and get away with it. His mother did tell him that he had plenty of time to play; although, that was two years ago.._

_He set the letters, quill, and ink off to the side before standing up. Adrien held his hand out to her, but Marinette smirked and tapped his shoulder._

_“YOU ARE IT!” She giggled and ran away as he gasped._

_Adrien smirked and took off after the giggling girl with dark hair. She squealed as she ran through the hallways with him on her tail. He was so close to getting her, but she was faster. Marinette giggled and screamed as she hit a dead end and he tapped her back._

_“Now you are it, Ma-Marinette.” Adrien laughed and her lips parted as she took in his genuine smile and laugh._

_A blush formed on her cheeks as she took in how happy he looked. She became determined and took off after him, running down the halls. They nearly ran into a guard and past Gabriel._

_“ADRIEN!” Gabriel’s deep voice boomed, freezing Adrien in his tracks and sending a shiver down his spine._

_Adrien brought his hands behind his back and he slowly turned to face his father with his gaze down. “Yes, father?”_

_“Do not run in the castle halls. We do not want you getting hurt or ill. You know the rules,” Gabriel sternly lectured him._

_“My apologies, father.” Adrien nodded and swallowed hard, trying not to cry._

_“Did you finish your letters?” Gabriel searched his son’s form._

_“No, father.” Adrien shook his head as he hid the tears falling down his cheeks. He knew better than to cry in front of his father._

_“It was my fault, your majesty. I was the one that convinced him to play and not study.” Marinette bowed and took the blame, causing Adrien to peer over his shoulder in shock._

_“Yes, well I would have thought you knew better, Lady Dupain-Cheng. Both of you, back to the other room to study.” Gabriel waved them away._

_“Yes, father.” Adrien slowly followed Marinette back to the room to finish his letters._

_Marinette walked beside him and stared at the tears going down his cheeks, causing him to raise his fists and wipe them away fast. “Your father seems strict.”_

_“He is.” Adrien sniffed and continued to walk with her._

_Marinette played with her bracelet and took it off. “Here.”_

_“What?” Adrien stopped in his tracks and searched from her eyes to the bracelet and back again._

_“Take it.” Marinette held the bracelet out to him._

_“But-” Adrien had never been given a gift from a friend before._

_“I want you to have it. You’re my friend.” Marinette warmly smiled and watched his trembling hand reach out to take it from her._

_“Thank you.” Adrien took the bracelet and put it around his slender wrist. “Apologies that I cannot play longer.”_

_Marinette giggled, rolled her eyes, and took his hand. “Then I suppose I will have to keep you company whilst you write letters.”_

_Adrien’s lips parted as she took off, yanking him to the room. He barely had a moment to breathe as he found himself back beside his letters with an eagerly excited girl beside him. He peered at her with parted lips as she brushed the skirt of her dress around her and held his quill up for him._

_“Write? I do not mind keeping you company. I can watch them play.” Marinette warmly smiled and he reached down with a trembling hand to take the quill from her._

_Adrien slowly sat down again and grabbed the letters to keep writing on his lap. “Adrien.”_

_“Hm?” Marinette stopped watching the girls play a silly game to stare at the saddened boy beside her._

_“You may call me Adrien, not Prince.” Adrien peered shyly through his messy golden bangs and watched a smile creep onto her lips._

_“Adrien...” She sighed his name, and his cheeks grew warmer as he went back to writing._

_Marinette placed her hands on the cold flooring and leaned over to peer at what he was writing. “Your script is pretty.”_

_Adrien peered up at her and accidentally knocked his head against hers. “Ow.”_

_“Apologies, Pr- Adrien.” Marinette gasped and reached out to run her fingers through his hair where her head hit his._

_“No, no. My fault.” Adrien gave her a shy smile and she quickly stopped touching his head._

_She flung her hands into her lap and peered down, playing with her skirt. “Truce?” She slowly peered up through her bangs._

_Adrien warmly smiled and burst out in a laugh again, catching the girls off guard and making them stare at the two giggling._

_“What does she think she is doing?” Chloe crossed her arms over her chest as jealousy ran through her blood._

_“Making him laugh, I suppose. It is nice to see the Prince laugh, is it not?” Alya giggled and took Sabrina and Chloe’s hands making them spin in a circle and sing a song._

_Chloe had never seen Adrien smile or laugh like that since she had known him. She had never seen him so happy with someone, especially during writing letters. He hated writing letters. Chloe couldn’t keep her eyes off of the two friends as they continued to switch hands and skip around to the nursery rhyme._

_“Can I try?” Marinette held her hand out for his quill and Adrien passed her it. Her hand trembled and Adrien laughed and wrapped his fingers around hers to help guide her hand._

_“See?” Adrien watched their hands move along the paper, scribbling more down for his father._

_“Do you write letters every day?” Marinette slowly peered up and realized his face was really close to hers, their eyes locking on one another's._

_“Um… yes. I hav- I have to write them every day.” Adrien swallowed hard as he got lost in her pretty blue eyes, and she got lost in his green ones._

_“Always about the same conflict?” Marinette searched his gaze and watched him blink for a moment._

_“Usually.” Adrien got so lost he didn’t realize he was leaning in closer and so was she._

_“Prince, Mari! Come outside with us!” Sabrina called for them and Adrien suddenly jumped away from Marinette._

_“Okay!” Marinette stood up and held her hand out to Adrien. “Coming?”_

_Adrien shook his head and pointed at his letters. She sadly smiled and leaned down to kiss his cheek._

_“Be back.” Marinette warmly smiled and took off running towards the giggling girls._

_Adrien slowly raised his hand to touch his cheek and melted, watching the girls leave out to the courtyard._

Chat Blanc sighed and grabbed another piece of paper and a quill to begin to write a letter to a lord of the land in order to solve their issue. He had trained all his life to write these damned things and he would do it. It was the least he could do, even if he hated it. He could murder his name, but he couldn’t let the town down. He felt like he owed them too much. He owed everyone too much. He pulled open a drawer in his writing desk and pulled out the bracelet that Marinette had given him as kids. He had kept it tucked away from himself. Hiding so that he didn’t have to be reminded of what he had done. Why wasn’t she upset? Why wasn’t she afraid? Why wasn’t she blaming him for everything? It was his fault.

He clenched the bracelet in his fist and became more upset. He didn’t want to remember. He kept his memories locked away on purpose and had transformed into this thing. This monster.

He owed Armand and his family everything as well. With the sign of his new name, he began to remember more of where he had come from. Remembered being a teenager, expected to wed Chloe and court her. But he had never wanted _her_ ; he had wanted someone he couldn’t have.

_Adrien had finished up his bow training and they had moved onto swords. He held his sword in his hands and focused on Armand as they circled._

_“Remember not to turn your back. Never give me an opening.” Armand licked his lips and held his sword expertly in his hand._

_“I understand.” Adrien played with his sword in his hand before swinging it across his body._

_A sharp metallic sound rang out as Armand blocked it with his blade. Adrien clenched his teeth as he leaned into it, trying to break free. Armand kicked him in the stomach, sending Adrien onto his back. He groaned and his eyes grew wide as Armand swung his blade down, causing Adrien to block it with his sword. He pushed back and stood up, blocking and pushing Armand back until he ran into the dummy. Adrien reached for his dagger on his hip and swung it out to go for his neck, freezing before it could touch the man._

_“Good. Again!” Armand smirked at Adrien and watched the young man back up._

_“I do hate to interrupt your little fun, but the Prince is needed in the throne room. Seems Queen Emilie would like a word.” Chloe watched Adrien pant and rub the back of his fist across his sweat covered brow._

_“Tell them I will be there in a moment.” Adrien panted and licked his lips as he stood up to put his blades away. He thanked Armand and followed Chloe into the castle._

_He stopped in his tracks as he peered up to see his cousin. “Felix?”_

_“Felix will be staying in the castle for a few days while your aunt is away in England.” Emilie smiled at Adrien, coughed into a cloth, and watched him nod with a hand on the hilt of his blade._

_“Felix.” Adrien ran up to his cousin and hugged him. “How long has it been?”_

_“Ages.” Felix wrapped his arms around his. “Tell me, cousin. How are the ladies? Let us walk and talk about them.”_

_Adrien smirked as he wrapped an arm around Felix’s shoulders and led him to the training area._

_“Felix is here?” Marinette ran up beside Chloe to watch the two of them walk out of the castle._

_“Indeed, he is.” Chloe sighed as she became jealous all over again._

_Adrien rarely wanted to spend time with her, and Chloe gasped as Marinette and Alya giggled and ran after the two guys. “Come watch them spar with us!” Marinette called back to Chloe and Sabrina._

_“I would rather read than watch two boys fight like uncivilized men. Come Sabrina, we have more important lessons to catch up on.” Chloe spun on her heel with her nose in the air._

_“She is a very strong headed girl.” Emilie shook her head, coughed again, and Gabriel ignored her._

_“She is good for our son, Emilie.” Gabriel looked over a scroll that a servant held out for him to read over._

_“I understand, but- does he love her?” Emilie watched Marinette catch up to Adrien and noticed how Adrien seemed to light up beside her._

_“Does it matter? Being a royal does not include love. England and France will stay in alliance as long as they are to wed. France needs this to be protected.” Gabriel signed his name on the scroll and leaned back in his throne with a sigh._

_“Yes, my King.” Emilie sighed and placed her hands in her lap, watching Adrien scatter pink petals around Marinette as she spun around and giggled beneath them like snow flurries. Emilie knew better than to think that her son did not love Marinette but being in alliance with her wouldn’t help them. Not like Chloe’s would. She was feeling weaker by the moment and all she wanted was for her son to be happy._

*******

Marinette sniffed and walked past the area where Adrien and Felix had sparred, and a smile took over her lips. She shook her head and scoffed at the memory.

_Marinette watched Adrien swing his sword against Felix’s, pushing against him, and causing him to stumble back. She stood beside Alya and gasped when her friend nudged her._

_“Best hide that blush on your cheeks,” Alya whispered beside her best friend. “Before our majesty, Chloe, happens upon it.”_

_“Alya.” Marinette spoke under her breath in a warning tone as she nudged her friend._

_“What? You are aware that she will find out if you keep staring the way you are.” Alya smiled at Adrien as he peered over at them, allowing Felix to knock him onto his ass._

_Adrien peered up at Felix as the tip of his blade gently touched his tunic. “Seems I have you right where I want you.”_

_Adrien chuckled and nodded. “Seems you do, cousin.”_

_“Best two out of three?” Felix held out his hand and Adrien slapped his hand into his, standing up._

_“Indeed.” Adrien got ready to fight once more with the girls watching them._

_“He is talented with a sword, is he not?” Alya smiled as she watched them circle one another._

_“Who?” Marinette watched them, and Alya rolled her eyes._

_“You are very aware of who. When do we converse about Felix?” Alya laughed and Marinette groaned as her cheeks grew warm._

_Marinette hid in her hair and brought her finger to her lips to chew on it. “Oh… stop.”_

_“It is no secret that you love one another.” Alya sighed and took Marientte’s hand in hers. “Tis a shame that you cannot be together.”_

_“Do not remind me, Alya…” Marinette cringed as Felix was knocked onto his back with a thud._

_Adrien laughed and held his hand out for Felix to take. “One more.”_

_“I shant go easy on you this time, cousin.” Felix smirked and helped Adrien up._

_“Princess Bourgeois is meant to wed Prince Adrien. Tis the way it is, and I cannot change that.” Marinette shrugged and watched the two young men spar._

_“You know, every time we watch these two boys fight, I fear that one will lose an eye.” Chloe walked up beside Marinette and Alya with Sabrina by her side. “Yet no one ever does.”_

_“You always see the dark side of events.” Adrien grunted as he blocked Felix’s sword, the metallic sound of his blade sliding along Felix’s rang out before he pulled out his dagger to put at his neck before kicking Felix to the dirt. “I win, cousin.”_

_Felix laughed and panted as he held up his hand. “So, you do.”_

_Adrien grabbed Felix’s hand and helped him up. “Good game.”_

_“Good game. I think I will go get my belongings in order.” Felix excused himself and Adrien walked over to the girls, wiping the sweat from his forehead._

_“You are such a talented swordsman.” Chloe walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his bicep. “Do you not agree, girls?”_

_“Yes, Princess Chloe.” The girls spoke in unison and curtsied._

_Marinette chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at Adrien with a blush._

_“The sun is too hot. I shall take my leave. Do not be long, Adrien.” Chloe kissed him on the cheek and called Sabrina to follow her inside the castle._

_Adrien swallowed hard and stared at Marinette for a while without a single word._

*******

Chat stamped a wax seal onto the folded letter before grabbing paper to begin another. He was already tired, and his wrist ached from writing, but he had to get it done. He had to make up for breaking everything. For making the world complete hell. For destroying everything, but the thought of Marinette. The very thought of how she stared at him without a care in the world. Without judgement, warmed his heart yet shattered it at the exact same time.

_Alya made some excuse to leave them alone. Adrien nodded at Alya and went to speak at the same time as Marinette._

_“No, by all means, ladies first.” Adrien held his hand out towards Marinette._

_She brushed her hair behind her ear, “I was just going to say that I enjoy the letters that you slip beneath my door at night. And I wanted to thank you for them.” She blushed and peered down at his leather boots._

_Adrien smiled and searched around them before grabbing her arm and tugging her out of the courtyard._

_“Where are you taking us?” Marinette gasped as his hand slid down to grab her hand, their palms touching. She blushed a deeper rose. “Your palm-”_

_Adrien stared at her and whisked her through a part of the wall covered in ivy. “Apologies, Marinette. Here.” Adrien slipped his hand up to touch her wrist instead. “More towards your expectations?”_

_“Twas nice. I was just worried that-” Marinette gasped as his fingers brushed down her wrist and along her palm, intertwining with hers. “-you may have been uncomfortable with it, but I see that you are not.”_

_“Not with you.” Adrien warmly smiled at her and his cheeks grew warm, causing her to get lost in his sparkling emerald eyes that showed his emotions more than his words. “But if you would rather I not hold your hand as love-”_

_“Stop. Do not talk this way. You are to wed Princess Bourgeois, and I will soon have a suiter.” Marinette swallowed hard as it pained her to think about._

_“You cannot be serious that after all these years you feel nothing towards me.” Adrien stopped walking through the woods and stared into her eyes with broken ones._

_“I- I do, but nothing about this is fair, Adrien.” Marinette sighed and became conflicted. “Why are you telling me this now?”_

_“I cannot hide it anymore, Mari. No bone in my body can pretend anymore. I cannot fathom my life without you and the day a suiter comes knocking at the door through a letter? My heart will shatter.” Adrien clutched at his chest and watched her bottom lip quiver. “I did not wish to make you cry, Mari. My deepest apologies, but I cannot simply hide my emotions anymore.”_

_“Adrien.” Marinette swallowed hard as tears fell down her rosy cheeks._

_“No part of my soul can stand there and take another moment with a woman that I do not love. My mother knows how I feel, and she has been trying to get my father to let go of that contract, but he has it in an iron fist, Mari.” Adrien desperately tried to make her understand, seeing the pain in her eyes._

_Marinette shook her head and burst into tears as he stood in front of her to run his other hand down her other arm and along her palm, intertwining that hand too._

_“I love you more than the moon loves the sun, and I cannot go on like this anymore. I cannot live with this lie and the fact that it pains me in the pit of my stomach to not have you.” Adrien brought their hands up and shook them, giving her a serious expression. “No part of my being has loved Chloe. She is like a sister to me.”_

Chat Blanc growled and tried to push the memories away. Tried to push away what he had told her about how his heart would break. How his heart was broken, not by her, but by his father.

**_***_ **

****

Marinette had brought the laundry into the castle and gone into the kitchen to begin making meals for the day. She had so much to do and yet she couldn’t stop thinking about Adrien and the day he had been honest with her. The day he had confessed in secret. She chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about it.

_Marinette sniffed as her heart felt more conflicted. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to love him. She wanted to have children with him, to marry him, to rule France with him beside her. She wanted this. Needed this._

_“I want this. I do. It makes me so happy, but- Chloe will be devastated,” Marinette sobbed, and Adrien let go of one of her hands to touch her chin._

_Adrien tilted her broken gaze up to his. “Let her be upset. Tis better that she gets hurt now rather than later, m’lady.”_

_Marinette suddenly wrapped her arms around him, and he fell into the grass beneath one of the trees. She peered down into his eyes as he softly laughed. “My apologies.”_

_“No need to apologize.” Adrien brushed her hair behind her ear and picked a white flower from the grass beside them to place behind her ear. “You are fairer than any flower on this Earth.”_

_Marinette sniffed and searched from his gaze, to his lips, and back again. He mirrored her actions and brushed his thumb along her cheek. She slowly leaned down as he lifted his head up to brush his soft lips against hers. She sighed as she melted into the kiss, feeling his arm wrap around her waist. She brushed her lips against his and she tilted her head as his tongue sought entrance._

_Marinette’s breath picked up as she lightly ran her tongue along his, experimenting with what felt good. He rolled her onto her back and ground his hips against her thigh, as he cradled her face and deepened the kiss further. She ran her hand along his bicep and squeezed as he broke the kiss to place a chaste one on her swollen lips._

_“Marry me.” Adrien brushed his fingers through her dark hair. “Promise me that one day, when this is all sorted that you will be my wife.”_

_Marinette’s eyes widened and sparkled in the light. “Adrien, you just told me your feelings and now you are asking for my hand?”_

_“Life is short, Mari. I wish to wed you.” Adrien searched her shocked expression._

_“I would like to wed you too, but with Chloe-” Marinette was interrupted by his lips on hers again. She sighed and gripped his bicep as he went back to lavishing her mouth in an emotion filled kiss._

_“Tell me you agree,” Adrien spoke between kisses as he trailed them along her neck._

_“But- Adrien.” Marinette gasped and a moan escaped her lips as his lips wrapped around her pulse-point and sucked. She had never felt this new heat that was settling between her thighs. It was unfamiliar and slightly scared her._

_The way she spoke his name sent electricity straight between his thighs and made him softly moan. “Yes?”_

_Marinette began to pant as he kissed back up to her swollen lips. “I am unsure about this feeling I have.”_

_Adrien pulled away and searched her worried expression. “Are you feeling ill? Should I stop?”_

_Marinette shook her head, “You know the feeling of sitting by a warm hearth and it gets too warm, so you move away?”_

Marinette rolled her eyes at herself. She had been so naïve that day, painfully so, but how was she to blame. She had never been taught anything from her mother. Her mother had perished during childbirth and her father had not explained it to her. No one had.

_“Yes.” Adrien placed a kiss to the corner of her lips and brushed her hair back._

_“Tis that feeling but-” Marinette blushed and Adrien burst out laughing. “Do not laugh at me!”_

_“I do apologize. Mari- do- not important. Let me remove myself so you may breathe.” Adrien rolled onto his back and brought a knee up with his hands behind his head to peer up at the canopy of the trees._

_“Why did you laugh?” Marinette blushed and peered over at him, while he took his dagger from his trousers to play with it._

_“Do tell me that you are not that naive.” Adrien spun his blade along his fingers._

_“What are you talking about?” Marinette rolled onto her side and picked at the grass._

_“You are serious then?” Adrien nearly dropped his dagger, catching it before it could stab him._

_Marinette chewed on the side of her thumb with a blush as she tried to hide in her hair. “Is that not good?”_

_Adrien put his dagger away and pulled back in shock. “I understand your virtue being intact is important but-”_

_“My virtue? What in God's name does this have to do with my virtue?” Marinette was taken aback by his words._

_“Mari, that warm feeling… where does it dwell?” Adrien searched her expression and watched her cover her face._

_“Rather not speak of it.” Marinette mumbled behind her hands and Adrien warmly smiled, grabbing her hands from her face._

_“Would you rather I spoke?” Adrien smirked at her and watched her become shy. “Tis fine if you would rather I remained silent on the matter.”_

_“No, I would like to understand it.” Marinette touched his arm and searched his gaze._

_“And the ladies never spoke of this?” Adrien found it hard to believe. He figured they would have told her now that they were of age._

_Marinette shook her head and blushed more. “Afraid not.”_

_Adrien shook his head and chewed on his bottom lip. “I cannot fathom how you never found this out.”_

_“Adrien… tell me.” Marinette whined at him and watched him laugh._

_“Hold on, I am contemplating my explanation.” Adrien held up his hand and thought for a moment._

_“Please… do take your time.” Marinette rolled her eyes and gasped when he rolled on top of her, placing her thigh between his and kissing her again._

_Marinette clutched at his biceps as his tongue dipped between her swollen lips, causing the heat to pool between her thighs again. “Does it occur when I kiss you?” Adrien spoke against her lips, slowly brushing his lips against hers._

_“Yes,” Marinette sighed as his tongue dipped between her lips again to meet hers._

_He slowly trailed kisses down her neck, and he licked and sucked on her pulse-point as his hips brushed along her thigh. “How about now? Warmer?”_

_“Mm-hmm…” Marinette gasped as something hard pressed against her thigh._

_“Does the heat dwell in the pit of your stomach and spread downwards?” Adrien trailed kisses along her jawline back to her swollen lips._

_She shifted her hips against his thigh. “Yes…”_

_“What else do you notice?” Adrien grazed his fingertips along her collarbones, causing her breath to catch._

_“You are warmer.” Marinette lowered her lashes and moaned as his thigh brushed between her thighs._

_“The heat dwells within me too as does my love for you.” Adrien searched her gaze before closing his eyes and kissing her again._

_“PRINCE? LADY DUPAIN-CHENG?” Their names were called, pulling them out of their heated kiss that had them both flushed and craving something more._

_Adrien broke the kiss and he quickly stood up, situating his tunic over the bulge in his trousers. “Come before they find us.” He held out his hand and Marinette took it from him._

_Adrien quickly grabbed the ball from behind the wall and ran in with Marinette trailing behind him._

_“Where were you two?” Gabriel searched from Marinette to Adrien._

_“I lost the ball and had to fetch it behind the wall, father.” Adrien held the ball in front of his hips with a serious expression. “Shant happen again.”_

_“I should hope so. Your mother has been searching the castle for you even though she should be resting. And Princess Bourgeois has been calling for you.” Gabriel gave Marientte a disapproving look._

_“Of course, your highness. Deepest apologies.” Marinette held her skirt and curtsied._

_“Run along then.” Gabriel watched them run inside and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he began to stress out._

Marinette laughed at herself, realizing how ridiculous she had been. She ran her hand along the wooden table that they had soiled the other day and brought her other hand to her lips. He had been her first everything and her last. She sighed and leaned against the counter, grabbing an apple to peer down at it. She skirted her thumb across the surface before bringing it to her soft lips to kiss with a blush. Alya had been the one friend that she had confided in. The one friend that knew of their little secret. She missed her even though she had been staying with her in England until she came to try and save Adrien.

_Alya laid in bed beside Marinette, hugging the lavish blankets. “So… speak to me. What news?”_

_Marinette blushed and rolled over to bury her face into her pillow and giggled._

_“Do not hold out on me.” Alya gasped and smacked her friend on the back. “What happened?”_

_Marinette peeked from the pillow at her best friend and touched her lips. “He confessed and then kissed me beneath a gorgeous tree. Oh, Alya… twas amazing.”_

_Alya gasped and searched her friend’s love-stricken gaze. “Spill.”_

_Marinette giggled and sat up to tell her all about it. “He spoke of marriage and how he had been honest with Queen Emilie about his feelings for me. He spoke of Chloe being like a sister to him. And then… then he kissed me. And it was lovely, Alya. So lovely. This heat took me over and I became so embarrassed and-”_

_Alya giggled at her best friend for a moment and threw her face into her pillow._

_“Adrien laughed as well.” Marinette groaned and Alya stopped laughing for a moment. “He explained to me.”_

_It was Alya’s turn to blush as Marinette hid her face. “You do understand?”_

_Marinette shook her head. “He kissed me and- and something brushed along my thigh that was- I cannot fathom what to compare it too.”_

_Alya burst out laughing at her and threw the covers over her face to hide. “Poor naive woman.”_

_“What?” Marinette grabbed the blanket and yanked it down off of Alya’s face._

_“Have you never learned about fornication?” Alya searched her friend’s gaze. “I was certain we had spoken of this before.”_

_Marinette shook her head and chewed on her fingers._

_“Oh… Mari…” Alya sighed and took her hands in hers. “Let us speak.”_

_Marinette stared at her best friend and listened to her speak of this boy named Nino that had come to the castle. She explained how she had felt when she had finally kissed him and when they had gone further, what that was like to._

_“Let me see. So, then Adrien was-” Marinette blushed and watched her best friend nod._

_“Indeed. Marinette, it is a fact of life. Adrien loves you and wants to be with you. I promise you that. And clearly by- well you understand. The man wants you, Marinette.” Alya smiled and yawned. “Now, sleep. Tis time for bed.”_

_Marinette rolled her eyes and rolled over, hearing something slide beneath the door. She waited for her best friend to fall asleep before she moved the covers and gently stepped on the cold floor, making her way to the door. She bent down and picked up the sealed letter._

_She sat down at her vanity and opened it, looking it over. She covered her mouth as she read how Adrien felt about her._

Marinette reached into her bag that she kept about her waist and pulled out the tattered old letter. It had seen many days since then. They were older, much older now, but she couldn’t seem to part with it. It meant too much to her. She sighed and ran her thumb over his handwriting with a fond smile.

**_M’lady,_ **

****

**_My deepest apologies if I scared you off with my explanation earlier. I was merely trying to explain how you may have felt and how I do. When our palms touched, I felt as though your soft lips were on mine. I miss your touch and all I can ponder on is how your pillowy lips felt on mine. How your warm tongue brushed along mine in a lover’s kiss that put all romantic kisses in books to shame. The way your body felt pressed against mine was like a dream. My heart was beating so fast that I thought I might have perished from being so close to you. I have never felt this way with anyone but you. I hope you take my confession seriously and honestly. Twas not lying when I spoke of my feelings for you._ **

****

**_Desire courses through my veins and causes me to crave you. The heat settles in my stomach and shoots down between my thighs and I find myself wanting you more and more. Twas hard to explain that to you. Most likely I did a poor job of explaining that feeling that burrows deep within your loins. I had no idea that you were naive about fornication and I am concerned that I may have scared you off like a shy horse._ **

****

**_Meet me near the servant’s quarters. I wish to show you something. I shall be waiting._ **

****

**_Till then m’lady,_ **

****

**_A_ **

_Marinette peered over at her sleeping best friend and folded the letter, pulling the key that hung on a necklace around her neck and unlocking a drawer with it. She opened the drawer to hide the letter with the rest before locking it again. She grabbed her red robe and threw it over her white chemise, slowly opening her door and slipping out into the hallway._

_She made her way to the spiral staircase and down to the servant quarters. She was focused on the stairs and not tripping on the bottom ones when someone grabbed her arm, making her gasp._

_“Shh… Just me.” Adrien placed a finger over his lips, and she took in his emerald hued robe and white tunic that was untucked from his knit trousers._

_“Why in God’s name did you scare me like that?” Marinette whispered loudly and whacked him with her robe._

_“Mari.” Adrien quietly laughed and grabbed her arm to stop her. “I apologize. Come.” He took her hand and she blushed when his palm brushed against hers._

_“You mentioned wanting to show me something.” Marinette followed him through a door and up another staircase. “When was this built?”_

_“Ages ago.” Adrien smirked and led her up to the top of the tower. “Leads up to the parapet walk.”_

_“But why was I not aware of this?” Marinette whispered as he continued to walk up the spiral stairs with her in hand._

_Adrien stopped and gave her an unamused expression, “I mean really how many times have you been free to roam the castle?”_

_Marinette slapped his bicep, “Do not be a cox-comb.”_

_“Look, Mari, you very well know that I could not go anywhere so why would I be insulting you when I cannot do the same.” Adrien rolled his eyes and began to walk up the stairs again only for her to suddenly shove him against the wall. “What is it?”_

_“I heard footsteps.” Marinette swallowed hard and Adrien stopped moving to listen._

_“Mari?” Adrien swallowed hard as her breasts pressed against his chest, uncovered by a corset, stays, and layers of a gown._

_“Hm?” Marinette listened again to the sounds of creaking and wind._

_“The castle is full of sounds. Tis the wind.” Adrien gently nudged her from his body and guided her up the rest of the way and out the door at the top of the tower._

_They stepped onto the parapet walk and Adrien took her down it, stopping in the middle to peer over the side. It looked over a vast amount of grass and land. Marinette swallowed hard as she took in the millions of stars in the dark sky._

_“Adrien.” Marinette scanned the horizon and looked over how gorgeous everything was in the low lights._

_“Come.” Adrien took her hand and led her further across and through another door, taking them down and out into a garden._

_“A garden?” Marinette peered at all of the wisterias, roses, topiaries, and trees._

_“My mother had them build it. She comes and goes from here. However, she is in bed so-” Adrien shrugged and led her over to sit beneath a low hanging tree._

_“Could we not have met in your chambers?” Marinette raised an eyebrow at him and watched him fall back in the luscious grass and laugh._

_“Do you wish to be caught?” Adrien raised an eyebrow at her._

_“Doors lock for a reason.” Marinette blushed and watched him peer at her in shock._

_“Moments ago you were questioning what the warmth meant and now here you are…” Adrien stopped talking when her finger went over his lips._

_“Your letter.” Marinette hid in her hair and heard him laugh._

_“I fashioned that in an act of passion. Cannot say how accurate I was.” Adrien smirked as she gripped the grass with her fingertips._

_“Is it how they say? That you have never touched grass?” Marinette slowly peered up at him with a blush._

_“Well, you see me touching grass now.” Adrien laughed harder and ran his fingers along the soft cold dewy grass beneath them._

_“Have you never left the castle walls?” Marinette crawled closer to him and watched his eyes grow wide._

_Adrien swallowed hard as she walked her fingers up his chest. “Afraid not, m’lady.”_

_“Have you… ever... fornicated?” Marinette leaned closer with her lips almost touching his. Her warm breath teased his lips as he parted his and slowly peered down._

_His chest rose and fell as she slowly gazed back up at the same time that he did, locking his gaze with hers. He swallowed hard and considered lying to her. “No, but I have heard tales from guards and servants. Have you not?”_

_Marinette blushed and searched his gaze. “No, but I would be interested to hear them spill from your lips.”_

_The corner of his lips curled up as she searched his smirk. “Then by all means, m’lady, take a seat.”_

_Marinette sat back on her heels and laid down beside him. She laid on her side and watched him turn his head to peer at her. He reached over to brush her hair behind her ear with a loving smile._

_“You will never go to sleep if I tell you these tales.” Adrien cradled her face and brushed his thumb along her cheek._

_“I have a feeling I will not go to sleep if you keep them a secret as well.” Marinette blushed and searched his heavily lidded gaze._

_Adrien burst out in a short quiet laugh and peered down before he looked up and let her go, laying onto his back to peer up at the branches of the tree. “Was not long ago that I heard the tale from a guard. Maybe three years or so. He was speaking with another guard. I highly doubt I was to hear it, yet I did.”_

_“Go on then. Tell it.” Marinette rested her head on her palm and played with the grass._

_Adrien rolled his eyes and sighed, “If you had more patience then I would have told it by now.”_

_“I have patience.” Marinette feigned being insulted and shoved him in the chest._

_“Sure, as much patience as a small child waiting for baked bread to cool.” Adrien smirked and Marinette gasped before giggling._

_“When have you ever waited for bread to cool.” Marinette poked him and he laughed._

_“I have a terrible ability to be patient, but that is beyond the point. Look, I will tell you the tale if you sit quietly.” Adrien leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, causing her to blush further._

_“Tell me.” Marinette stared at him with a smug expression._

_“He met her in the village. He was making his rounds and doing his duties when she caught his eye. She was fair with dark hair and gorgeous emerald eyes. From what I gathered, she had nice breasts as well, but I am unsure if that is true. So, he caught her eye, as well. Led to them going to her home, where he laid her on the bed and-” Adrien stopped when he felt Marinette bury her face into his shirt. “-Are you no longer willing to hear the tale? If it is too much for your heart, I may stop.”_

_“No, no keep telling it.” Marinette ran her fingertip along his shirt, running it up to trace the line between his pecs._

_Adrien sucked in a breath as her soft finger danced along his skin, while she brought the others to move along with them. He swallowed hard as her bent knee slid over his thigh, brushing along it as she cuddled beside him._

_“Go on.” Marinette spoke against his shirt, causing him to become aroused._

_Adrien swallowed hard and peered up, trying to focus on anything but her touch and body pressed up on his. “Well, he began by kissing her on the lips.” Adrien touched her chin and raised her gaze to him, tracing her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb, and slowly brushed it along her top one when she parted her lips._

_Marinette’s breasts rose and fell as she lowered her lashes while his thumb ran along her cupid’s bow. Adrien leaned in, dragging his thumb down the center of her bottom lip, and softly brushed his lips against hers. She panted and quietly moaned as he dipped his tongue between her lips before pulling away with his forehead resting against hers._

_“Then he slowly ran his fingers along her soft neck, tracing a line to her breast.” Adrien’s fingers slid along her cheek and slowly down the side of her neck, causing her to peer up at his face as his trembling hand traced down her neck._

_“And then?” Marinette softly spoke in a whisper as she felt her nipples tighten into peaks and heat pool between her thighs._

_“Then he caressed her breast as if it were the most beautiful thing to behold.” Adrien’s hand cupped her breast through her thin chemise as he brushed his thumb over her nipple._

_Marinette parted her lips in a quiet moan as his thumb circled her nipple and his palm caressed the swell beneath her clothing._

_“Go on.” She licked her lips and panted as he continued to caress her._

_“His hand lowered still, brushing along her stomach and along her skirts.” Adrien locked his gaze with hers as his hand skirted down her stomach, over her hip, along her thigh, and beneath the hem of her chemise._

_“And then?” Marinette’s breathing came out harsher as his hand grazed up her thigh, pushing her chemise up with it. She gasped and panted as his fingers grazed her warm skin. She licked her lips and tilted her head up to brush the tip of her nose against his. “Show me.”_

_Adrien swallowed hard and his hand trembled as he heard her words. “Are you sure?”_

_Marinette nodded and tilted her head up to brush her lips against his. He softly moaned and slowly rolled on top of her, dipping his tongue between her lips and brushing his lips against hers. She ran her fingers along his cheeks and sank them into his golden hair, pulling him closer. Marinette felt his fingers graze along her inner thigh and gasped as his finger gently ran along her wet sex. She softly moaned as he kissed down her body and settled between her thighs, slowly pushing her chemise up around her hips more._

_His gaze fell on the soft dark curls between her thighs that were wet from her arousal. He moaned and trailed down kisses along her left inner thigh before doing the same to her right. She gripped the grass in her fists as she rolled her hips and arched her back. Adrien peered up at her as he kissed above her sex and gently blew along her wet folds, causing her to moan and shift her hips._

_“You are confident that you want this?” Adrien stalled for a moment and watched her peer down at him and nod. He softly smiled and brought his lips to her wet sex._

_He trailed kisses from her entrance to her clit, dipping his tongue between her folds to flick her sensitive bud. She gasped and moaned, raising her hips to get closer to his mouth. Adrien quietly groaned and ran his tongue between her silky folds to tease her. She panted and arched her back as he continued to lavish her with his warm tongue._

_The warmth within her grew as she got closer to her climax. Her heart pounded in her chest while her legs trembled. Adrien flicked her clit with the tip of his tongue until it swelled, allowing him to wrap his lips around it and suck. Marinette gasped and brought a hand up to bite the side of it as she came hard. Her orgasm ripped through her, causing her to shiver, and become lightheaded. It was intense and felt like it lasted ages as she bucked her hips against his mouth. He flicked his tongue faster on her clit, as she rode the high. Adrien felt her hips slow as she came down. He wrapped his lips around her clit one more time before kissing his way up her body, slowly pushing her chemise up to expose more of her skin._

_He groaned as he watched her creamy breasts escape the thin fabric, while he unveiled them. He hungrily wrapped his lips around one of her nipples, caressing the other with his hand. She panted and rolled her hips against his. She reached between them to run her hands along the bulge in his trousers. Adrien gasped against her breast as he rocked his cock against her palm._

_He lifted his hips and held his weight on one palm and undid his trousers with the other with clumsy movements. Marinette slid her hands up to his biceps, pulling him up to kiss her lips again. Adrien moaned against her mouth before he dove his tongue between her lips to dance with hers. She wrapped her legs around his hips, using her feet to shove his trousers down._

_Adrien reached between them to help shove them down, causing his cock to spring free. He groaned as his warm cock brushed against the cool soft grass. He broke the kiss and peered into her eyes, licking his lips and swallowing hard as she slipped her hand between them and ran her fingers through the soft curls as she made her way to his hardened length._

_Adrien let out a quiet groan as her fingers wrapped around his cock and gently pumped. “Ah… Mari.” He moaned and whispered her name into her ear as he thrusted into her soft hand._

_“Does this feel desirable? I am not harming you, am I?” Marinette swallowed hard and he peered up, cradling her face in his hands._

_He peered into her eyes and parted his lips in a moan as she ran her fingers along his cock. “No, Marinette. It feels lovely. Ah… so lovely.”_

_Marinette blushed as she felt the warmth gather between her thighs again. “I want you. I know this is wrong, but I truly want you, Adrien.”_

_“Mari-Marinette,-” Adrien brushed her cheeks with his thumbs, grinding into her palm and kissing her swollen lips. “-There is- there is nothing wrong with fornicating. Ah…”_

_“Is there not?” Marinette gasped as she felt her hand become slick from his arousal._

_“No.” Adrien stole her lips and Marinette let go of his cock as she felt the tip brush along her entrance. He broke the kiss after he entered her, causing her to gasp and grip his back, as she bit into his pec._

_“It hurts a bit,” Marinette whispered against his shirt and felt his hips still._

_“Do you wish to stop, m’lady?” Adrien whispered against her hair and felt her shake her head._

_“No. Is it supposed to hurt?” Marinette slowly peered up from his shirt and watched him warmly smile._

_“It can a bit. From what I have gathered. I deeply apologize.” Adrien kissed the tip of her nose and tried to keep his hips still. He felt her relax around him and her fingers loosen from his tunic. “Are you alright?”_

_“Yes.” Marinette felt the heat increase between her thighs and her walls clenched around his hardened length. “Move please, Adrien.”_

_“As you wish, m’lady.” Adrien captured her lips again, slowly thrusting into her._

_Marinette gasped as she felt full and stretched open with each slow movement of his hips. She focused on his kiss and wrapped her legs around his hips, getting lost in him. It felt like he was enveloping her and surrounding her. Her heart beat in her ears as she moaned and felt her thighs tremble once more. Adrien moaned against her lips as his thighs trembled and he felt the pressure build._

_“I am unsure of how long I may last.” Adrien broke the kiss and moaned into her ear._

_“Adrien.” Marinette softly moaned his name and gasped when he sped up his thrusts, chasing his orgasm due to hearing his name fall from her lips in such a beautiful way._

_He had never heard his name spoken with so much love and admiration. He had never heard a woman whisper it like a prayer and everything in him was bursting with love and emotion. Her body trembled against his as she crashed her lips against his while they both let go and came together._

_Adrien panted and pulled out of her, causing her to wince and hiss as she ached between her thighs. He rolled off of her and adjusted his trousers, fastening them. Adrien got onto his side as she pulled down her chemise and kept her legs parted._

_“Are you feeling well?” Adrien gently ran his hand down her stomach and between her thighs, pressing his fingers along her sore entrance._

_She winced with flushed cheeks, catching his worried expression. “Yes. A little sore but nothing I cannot handle.”_

_“Apologies.” Adrien removed his hand and maneuvered to settle between her thighs, placing a gentle kiss between them. She gasped as he crawled up her body, covering her in loving kisses that made her sigh._

_“My virtue is ruined now.” Marinette suddenly realized what that entailed._

_Adrien softly trailed kisses up to her lips, kissing each corner before placing one fully on them. “I suppose I will have to wed what is mine then.”_

_“Adrien… the contract.” Marinette sighed as he trailed kisses down her neck._

_“Will eventually be burned. Now, let me spoil you some more. I seem to not be able to satiate my hunger for such a delicious flower.” Adrien kissed back down her body, causing her thoughts to go blank and her fingers to sink into his damp golden hair._

And that was why Marinette had taken him to the garden. The true reason besides his mother. She had hoped that he would have remembered that day. Had remembered the day they had given each other to the other with enough love to cure the world of hatred. That was why the garden had always reminded her of Eden. Why she had always called it such a strange name. It was their secret oasis where nothing to keep them apart. A place where they were safe. Until it all came tumbling down. She remembered the next morning as she went to work making bread.

_The warm sun filtered along Marinette’s face as she woke up beside Alya. She stretched slightly and sat up in the bed. She brought her hand to her lips as she realized what she had done last night with Adrien. A blush formed on her cheeks and the door flung open with an overly excited Chloe and Sabrina behind her._

_“Are you not awake yet?” Chloe placed her hands on her hips and stood there in a gorgeous sapphire hued gown._

_“I was…” Marinette was interrupted by an exhausted Alya._

_“I kept her up late last night. I apologize, Chloe. We will join you in a moment.” Alya yawned and sat up beside Marinette._

_Marinette peered over at her with widened eyes and Alya gave her an expression to make her cut it out._

_“Right, yes. We were up late talking about a duty we both had to study.” Marinette cleared her throat and gave Chloe the best smile she could._

_“Well get dressed and come with us to the market.” Chloe nodded and let servants in to help the two girls dress before she left._

_“Apologies, I owe you, Alya.” Marinette swallowed hard with a blush as they got out of bed._

_“Did you not think I knew you snuck out last night?” Alya whispered before the servants came over to help them into their corsets, stays, and dresses._

_“I have no idea what you are going on about. I was in bed the whole time.” Marinette peered up and to the side as her corset was tied._

_“Might hide the mark on your neck then before Chloe notices where and who it came from.” Alya widened her eyes and Marinette gasped and hurried over to the vanity to cover it with makeup after the servants were done._

_Alya dismissed them and walked over to her best friend. “You can only hide this so long, Marinette. What if you end up with a babe?”_

_Marinette swallowed hard as she began to do her makeup. “That never crossed my mind.”_

_“The Prince is destined for Princess Bourgeois, not you. King Gabriel does not want your family’s alliance. He could care less about what you have to offer. He wants their ships on his borders. How do you expect to make this work?” Alya touched her friend’s face and gave her a serious expression. “I know you love him and he you, but this cannot simply work. You know this. I am aware that you do.”_

_“Stop making such a joyous memory a saddened one, Alya.” Marinette felt tears begin to burn the corners of her eyes._

_“It was a joyous moment, and I am so happy that you two finally had that lovely moment as lovers do, but you cannot be with him. You cannot let this happen again. The king will have your head or have you kicked from the castle. I cannot fathom losing you.” Alya pressed her forehead against hers._

_“What if we hide it?” Marinette whispered and Alya sighed._

_“Hiding something is always found. No matter how hard one tries. The hidden object will be found and there will be a great deal of punishment for it.” Alya brought her face away from Marinette’s. She grabbed her best friend’s chin and took the brush from her to cover her hickey better. “But for now… you need to hide the evidence from last night.”_

_“I appreciate your help, Alya. I apologize for bringing you into this.” Marinette sighed as her best friend covered up her love mark._

_“If you lose your head then so shall I. I see how happy you make the Prince. Queen Emilie does too, but she and I also know that it cannot be done. God seems to believe that Chloe belongs with the Prince.” Alya was suddenly met with a burst of words from Marinette._

_“But she does not! He sees her as his sister, Alya, not his lover. He does not wish to have her hand and is being forced by his father to wed her for-” Marinette stopped talking as Alya brushed red pigment onto her puffy lips._

_“Royals do not marry for love, Marinette. They lack the luxury of doing so.” Alya sadly smiled at Marinette and watched her friend’s shoulders slump. “Best to look from afar and forget that last night ever happened.”_

Marinette sighed and went to work, focusing on making meals. She needed to get her head on straight. It couldn’t be. He might not even remember her or what was waiting for him in England.

*******

Chat sat in his room, cleaning himself with a basin. He was beyond exhausted after writing all of the letters. He had handed them off to be delivered and hoped it would suffice for what he had done. Anger boiled up within him as he thought of everything else that had happened up until now. All the turmoil he had gone through and all of the good too.

He sighed and peered at himself in a mirror on his vanity with an unamused expression, clearly exhausted beyond comprehension. He knew why she had brought him to the garden. He just hadn’t wanted to remember it. It hurt. It hurt badly to do so.

_Adrien swallowed hard and suddenly perked up when he heard the familiar sound of guards in metallic armor headed his way._

_“Damn.” He peered around himself, trying to find a place to hide. Anywhere would suffice for him, as long as he couldn’t be found._

_Spotting a flash of bright red down a hallway, he smirked and took off towards it. His black leather boots echoed along the marble flooring. Marinette’s long dark hair swung back and forth across her shoulders as she ran in front of him. He watched her stop to peer around herself for a place to go. Adrien smirked and slid across the slick flooring, catching her wrist before she could take off._

_“This way, m’lady.” Adrien searched her gaze and watched the corners of her mouth curl up into a smile before tugging her the other way. “I know a place to hide.”_

_Marinette followed him down a long corridor that led to the keep of the Agreste Castle. She peered at the ancient walls that were made from a cream brick._

_Adrien suddenly stopped at an area that was darker than the rest. It was a rounded wall of The Tour with a wall across from it that slightly stuck out, making it a great place to hide._

_Adrien took off towards the area of the wall that stuck out and smiled with a quiet laugh, as he held his hand out towards her. She got lost in how his messy blonde hair fell in front of his emerald eyes, taking in the genuine smile on his lips. He was like an excited kid and it was times like that, she realized he truly loved her. That even though he was next to rule and she was a lady that was not approved to be his, it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but them._

_“C’mon m’lady, they’re coming.” Adrien wiggled his fingers, and she rolled her eyes, backing up, as footsteps echoed down the halls._

_She took off towards him, peering behind herself, as the sounds of his guards got closer, echoing off the brick walls. She gasped as Adrien’s hand grasped her wrist, yanking her into the shadows behind the part of the wall that stood out._

_Her breasts pressed against his chest, as he held her against his warm body. She could feel every breath and inch of his body as it pressed up against hers. Marinette licked her lips and hid her face into the soft fabric of his billowy white tunic, breathing in his alluring citrus scent._

_Her fingers curled into his shirt, breathing him in and feeling his muscular pecs beneath the thin woven fabric. It was laced loosely near his neck and tucked into his tight black trousers._

_“Adrien?” Marinette’s voice came out as a whisper, and she peered up at him._

_“Yes, m’lady?” Adrien swallowed hard, as he heard the last of the echoing footsteps and shouts disappear._

_Adrien slowly peered down at her and caught how the low light of the castle made the silver flecks reflect in her bluebell eyes. He licked his lips, searching from her eyes, to her lips, and back to her sultry gaze again._

_“I- I think they are gone.” Marinette raked her teeth along her bottom lip, searching his gaze and playing with the brown leather strings of his shirt._

_“Then… I guess we should take our leave?” Adrien watched her slender fingers slide up to fiddle with the crisscrossed leather strings._

_“Or… we could stay a bit longer?” Marinette swallowed hard, locking her sultry gaze with his and watching one corner of his lips curl up into a dangerous smirk._

_“Would you… like to stay a bit longer? You know-” Adrien grazed his fingers along her jawline, grabbing her chin between his thumb and index finger. He tilted her head up and brought his lips dangerously close to hers.”-I know quite a bit about this place. Where we are standing.”_

_Adrien slowly brushed his lips against hers, causing her to sigh and grip onto the edges of the laced part of his shirt. She softly moaned as he ran his hands over her gorgeous crimson hued dress, along her hips, and down her rounded behind._

_Her fingers gripped into his tunic, yanking him closer. He suddenly gripped her ass, pulling her closer against his body. She moaned, tilting her head to run her tongue along his. Adrien wrapped his lips around her tongue and gently sucked on it, eliciting a moan from her lips. He released her tongue and embraced her, running his fingers through her soft hair that smelled of bluebells from a meadow nearby._

_“Would you like to know when The Tour was built, m’lady?” Adrien whispered against her hair, running his fingers through it and feeling her heartbeat pound against his chest._

_Marinette softly mewled as he placed kisses along her neck, moving the high collar of her dress out of the way to tease her sensitive skin._

_“No. I know very little about my home.” Marinette sighed and moaned, feeling his arousal press between her thighs. “Tell me when.”_

_Adrien nibbled up to her ear and licked her earlobe, bringing it into his warm mouth and sucking on it. “The Tour was built in twelve-hundred.”_

_“Really?” Marinette gasped as he ran his hands down her arms and grabbed her wrists to place them around his waist._

_Adrien tugged on her earlobe with a moan and ran his hands back down to her hips, letting her go and taking her hand. “Mm-hmm.”_

_He felt along the cold brick wall for the entry for the secret passageway. Marinette peered at him as he found it. “Well...Philippe Auguste decided to build the keep round instead of square for military reasons.” Adrien smirked and slowly opened the secret door for them. His gaze smoldered as he curled one side of his lips up to showcase a canine tooth. “Made it a lot harder for enemy pioneers to breach the wall.”_

_“And, what else do you know, oh great historian?” Marinette smirked at him as she held the skirt of her dress in one hand and his hand in the other._

_Adrien tugged her into the secret passageways, shutting the door behind them. “Well… it mostly holds the royal treasure and archives. But as you know, my father seems to love holding his prisoners here.”_

_“And why… do you know so much about this keep?” Marinette searched his muscular form as he grabbed a torch and led her down the dark and wet tunnels. “Where are you taking me?”_

_“If I told you then it would not be a secret, now would it? Would you rather I spoil the surprise, m’lady?” Adrien winked at her and she tilted her head at him with a warm smile._

_“You are always so full of surprises, Adrien.” Marinette rolled her eyes and shoved him, causing his shoulder to knock against the wet brick._

_“Careful, m’lady, you do not want to lose your guard.” Adrien teased her and continued to walk down the long tunnel._

_“Oh, you are my guard now, are you? Tell me…” Marinette gently wrapped her arms around his bicep, causing Adrien to peer down at her. “...my guard, is there a horse at the end of this grand adventure?”_

_“Maybe.” Adrien smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “But m’lady should learn patience is important. Were you never taught that?”_

_“Hmm…” Marinette thought for a moment, tapping her finger against her chin before grabbing his forearm and peering into his eyes with a sultry expression. “I cannot seem to remember, but I happen to know… a maiden like me should not be seen with a lord like you. Care to tell me why you helped me run from your guards? Surely you will be punished for helping a maiden that you are not to wed.”_

_“Mmm…” Adrien tilted his head back and forth in thought. “Maybe, but-” He smiled at her as he stopped at the end of a tunnel. “-I cannot seem to care what my father thinks. My father would rather have everyone’s head served on a platter by his servants than care to listen to his people. I would rather listen to my people’s woes than place them on the guillotine. People tend to have extraordinary tales. I would love to hear them. To learn where they come from. How they found themselves at the castle. My father would rather their mouths be shut.” Adrien leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, grazing his fingers along her cheek. “The dead do not talk, you see?”_

_“That was gravely disturbing. Thank you for that glorious revelation. And you plan to change this when you are on the throne?” Marinette stared at him and watched him become serious._

_“I plan to change everything, m’lady.” Adrien unlocked the wooden door and shoved it open with his shoulder, letting fresh air and sunlight into the tunnel._

_Marinette shielded her light eyes from the sun as he tugged her out of the tunnels and beside the stables. “I was only joking about the horse.”_

_“Yes well… I meant it.” Adrien smirked and walked through the stable to grab two horses._

_“But Chloe will be worried, will she not? I am to be by her side right now with Alya yet here I am with her intended.” Marinette watched him throw saddles onto a white and black horse._

_“I am the one she is to wed, and I say… we ride, and she will survive for an hour or so.” Adrien smirked and brought a white horse over to her. “Come, I will help you up.”_

_Marinette rolled her eyes and took his hand putting her foot into the stir-up as he lifted her by her hips. She brought her leg over and got situated on the saddle. “Yes, but she would not be pleased to find me with you and you very well know it.”_

_“Then let me deal with her.” Adrien handed her the reins and walked over to his horse, easily hoisting himself up and onto the saddle. He shifted his hips to get comfortable and clicked his tongue to get the horse to move. “It will only be for a little bit. Surely she can wait.”_

_“Says you. You are not her, neither do you know her as well as I.” Marinette groaned and clicked her tongue, hitting her heels gently against the sides of the horse to follow him out of the stables._

_“Come on, race me.” A competitive smile fell on his lips and he kicked his horse to take off in a gallop._

_“You cannot be serious! You are such a child!” Marinette gasped and kicked her horse to take off after him._

_“I AM THE CHILD?” Adrien feigned being insulted as he took off faster through a thicket of trees. He ducked a few times, so he didn’t hit his head on the low branches._

_Marinette cut around through the side and Adrien suddenly yanked back on the reins to avoid crashing into her horse. “Yes you. You have always been such a child! Do you not remember the games we would play? You hated losing!”_

_“That would be because I never lose, m’lady.” Adrien made his horse trot around hers with a dangerous smirk._

_“Well, you lost me.” Marinette blushed, mumbling under her breath._

_“That was not my fault. My father decided who I was to wed, and I wanted it to be you. I do not get the joy of choosing who is my future wife.” Adrien shook his finger at her in irritation._

_“You could have fought for me. My father would have gladly given you my hand, Adrien!” Marinette argued with him and watched him groan and slap his face with his hand._

_“Look, Mari, I did not choose Chloe. She was born the same year as I and our parents signed a contract that we were to be wed for an alliance between two countries. I have never had the choice. I was not even told until I was older.” Adrien ran his hand down his face. “You know this.”_

_“I loved you the moment I saw you. We were five, Adrien. FIVE! I came here with Chloe and saw you and- and- ugh!” Marinette threw her hand into the air. “I wish this were different.”_

_“I know. Believe me, m’lady.” Adrien sighed and leaned forward to pet his horse’s long mane. “If anything, Chlo is more of a sister to me than a wife.”_

_“Why must you be with her?” Marinette leaned forward to pet her horse’s mane. “It could have been any other maiden.”_

_“She was chosen by my mother and father. I have no say, Mari.” Adrien brought his horse up beside hers and held out his hand. “Climb on the back of my horse. I want to show you something.”_

_Marinette passed him the reins and grabbed his forearm as he grabbed hers, yanking her onto his horse. She nearly fell off and he grabbed her to keep her behind himself._

_“You alright?” Adrien peered over his shoulder and watched her nod. “Wrap your arms about my waist.”_

_Marinette’s hands trembled as she slowly ran her hands along the fabric, bringing her cheek against his back. His citrus soap invaded her senses and made her dizzy. Adrien guided their horses through the trees to a stream that was beside a meadow._

_“You know you are going to be in so much trouble for this.” Marinette rested her chin on his shoulder._

_“Have to catch me first, m’lady.” Adrien smirked and heard her softly laugh. “Fastest rider in the kingdom.”_

_“So, they say.” Marinette rolled her eyes and hugged him, pressing a kiss on his neck._

_“As well as best marksman and-” Adrien gasped as she ran her fingers between his thighs._

_“Swordsman. I know, Adrien.” She caressed between his thighs and heard him swallow hard as he became aroused by her touch._

_Adrien grabbed her hand and brought it up to bite the side of it. “Temptress.”_

_“And to fathom that you wanted to wed such a dangerous vixen.” Marinette teased him and heard him burst out laughing._

_“Well… how else will I keep such a hellion in my bed.” Adrien heard her gasp and winced as she smacked his bicep._

_“Such a boy!” Marinette waited for his horse to stop and she slipped off and onto the grass._

_Adrien laughed and got off his horse, tying both of the horses to a tree near the water._

_He ran up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and spinning her around with his lips near her ear. “I think you meant rogue, m’lady.”_

_Marinette giggled as he set her down, grabbing her hips to spin her to face himself. “Only when in bed.” She stuck her tongue out and shoved her hands against his chest to take off through the meadow of wildflowers._

_“OH REALLY? DO ENLIGHTENING ME!” Adrien laughed and took off after her, grabbing her and yanking her into the bed of tall flowers._

_Marinette squealed and fell on top of him with the tall flowers and grass shielding them from view. She peered into his sparkling emerald eyes as he reached up to brush a tendril of hair behind her ear with a loving smile._

_“Are you aware of how much I love you?” Adrien warmly smiled and searched her loving gaze._

_“More than all the stars in the heavens? So, you have told me for years now.” Marinette giggled as he tickled her side._

_“Yes, but that was not what I had planned to say.” Adrien laughed and sighed as he got lost in her gorgeous sapphire eyes._

_“Then say it, prince.” Marinette searched his gaze and watched him bite his bottom lip._

_“I love you more than taking the throne. More than being a prince. More than anything in this world.” Adrien leaned up to kiss each corner of her lips before brushing his lips against hers. He watched her eyes slowly open and smiled as he brushed her cheek with his thumb. “More than God himself.”_

_“Adrien…” Marinette’s eyes went wide as she stared into his in shock._

_“Tis true, Marinette.” Adrien warmly sighed and watched her smile at him and slump her shoulders._

_Marinette ran her hands along his neck as she laid down with her body pressed against his. She placed soft kisses on his cheeks, forehead, nose, and lastly on his soft lips._

_She rested her forehead against his, “I love you too, Adrien.”_

_He touched her face and brushed his lips against hers, rolling them over so that she was beneath him. “Then let me have my love again.”_

_Marinette moaned as he undid his trousers and slipped his hand beneath her skirts to graze her wet folds with his fingertips. She suddenly grabbed the back of his tunic as he got between her thighs and entered her with ease. His lips brushed along hers as he slowly thrusted within her. She sighed and moaned as she dipped her tongue between his lips, running it along his. Adrien moaned into the kiss as her walls clenched around his cock._

_Her thighs trembled as he kissed along her jawline, down her neck, and sucked on her pulse point. She wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her nails into his back, as she felt the pressure build before the wave of ecstasy hit her hard. It ran through her as she buried her face into his chest and cried out as she came._

_Adrien panted and moaned at the beautiful sound that passed her lips and his thighs trembled as he tensed up. A moan passed his lips as the pressure built and exploded, causing him to release into her over and over again. Marinette grabbed his face, crashing her lips onto his as he moaned and tried to catch his breath, riding his orgasm._

_She panted and hummed as he slowed down with a soft sigh. “God, you are wonderful at that.”_

_Adrien smirked and stilled his hips, cradling her face and kissing her lips over and over again. “And you… are lovely as ever. God what I would not give to have you warming my bed to the end of my days.”_

_“Mmm… a couple of children.” Marinette got lost in their dream future that they had shared since meeting._

_“Mmm… a horse, cat, and a farm. Cuddling by a hearth.” Adrien sighed as he brushed his lips against hers. “In our own little cottage away from it all.”_

_“If only that were possible, and you did not have a crown.” Marinette rolled her eyes as he played with her hair._

_“Well, maybe one day.” Adrien smirked and she rolled her eyes._

_“Yeah, when we are no longer an Agreste and Dupain-Cheng. Remind me again about who you are?” Marinette giggled as he groaned and lifted himself from her. She sat up on her elbows and watched him fix his trousers back in place with a saddened expression. “I apologize, Adrien. I did not mean to-”_

_“I know what you meant, and we have gone over this over and over again.” Adrien’s silver signet ring shined in the light. “I AM NOT my father or mother.”_

_“I know.” Marinette swallowed hard as she watched him walk over to the stream to crouch down and throw the cold water onto his warm face._

_Adrien peered up from the stream, his face dripping wet. "But do you? Or do you just pretend like the rest?"_

He had figured out how to get out of the contract. The one loophole within it was that he must have maintained his virtue and he had proven that to be a predicament the day that Marinette had not had her cycle. Alya had done her damndest to hide the baby being his from his father. But the day that Marinette and Adrien had decided it was the one way to break the contract, they had told his father.

His father had become enraged and Chloe had burst into tears, calling Marinette all sorts of names. It was that very day that his father ordered for the Dupain-Chengs to be nothing more than mere servants under his rule. His mother had been bedridden by then and that had been when Marinette had become one of her bedside servants.

Chat gripped the cloth in his fist that he had been washing himself with at the sudden memory of an unborn child. He hurried to get dressed and rushed out of the room to Marinette’s chambers.

He knocked on her heavy door and slammed it open with his chest rising and falling in fast breaths, “Where is my son?”


	4. Day 6 and 7: Little Kitty on a Roof and Save Me

Marinette’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at the desperate man in her chambers, while she held her hair that she was brushing at her vanity. Tears filled her eyes as she swallowed hard.

He rushed towards her and kneeled beside her, taking her brush from her hands to hold them instead. “Tell me, where is our son? Tell me he is alive and well.”

Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she realized his memory was back. His eyes were less blue and more teal, teetering on the rich emeralds that she was used to. “England.”

“England?” Chat was taken aback, and his eyes shifted back to blue. “Why ever there?”

“I left him with Alya while I came back to try and- to try and bring you back to us. He knows of you. I have told him many stories, as has Alya.” Marinette sniffed and watched him sit back on his heels with slumped shoulders. “He is about four now. Looks a lot like you. Spitting image, really.”

“I wish to see him.” Chat searched her gaze and she chewed on her bottom lip. “You are afraid.”

“Never.” Marinette shook her head and wiped her eyes. “No, I just- are you sure?”

“What did you name him?” Chat ran his fingers along the backs of her hands and searched her gaze.

“Louis Athanase Agreste, your grace.” Marinette sniffed and burst into tears.

“Why bless him with such a name?” Chat shook her hands and she swallowed hard.

“Because he is yours, Adrien.” Marinette let the tears fall down her cheeks. “He is your flesh and blood. He deserves to have your name, not mine.”

“Why have you taken him from me?” Chat fell to his knees and brought her hands to his forehead, falling apart.

Marinette took a deep breath and pulled one of her hands from his to brush her fingers along his cheek. She ran her soft fingers down to his chin and lifted his head up, causing his saddened gaze to lock on hers.

“Tell me.” Chat’s voice came out desperate as more tears escaped from his eyes.

“The day that your father demoted us because we chose to tell him about our child, you fought for us. You argued about our place to no avail. His majesty would not listen, and you became angry. I became a servant, tending to your ill mother until she perished. And then, once my duty to her was done… your father had my father executed and I? I was locked in the keep. You broke orders and snuck down to free me. We ran through the tunnels and out to the stable where you gave me your horse. You had Alya waiting for me and told us to go to England, where we laid in hiding. I gave birth in England, where Alya protected me. I was lucky, your grace. Lucky that I did not perish. I sent you a letter announcing you had a son. You told me to stay put. But then I got word of Adrien being a dead man. That someone else had taken the throne. A man named, Prince Chat Blanc. A man known for being ruthless and cold hearted. A mad man that lacked poise or tact. That tortured and locked peasants and people away with little thought. I heard of your father’s treason. How he had been replaced in quick haste.” Marinette swallowed hard and searched his irritated face.

“I remember now.” Chat set his jaw and sat back on his heels. “Once you left, I was alone to roam the castle under my father’s rule. There was nothing left but darkness. My maiden gone and my son too. Alone without m’lady.”

His gaze seemed to be staring far off as he continued to tell the story to Marinette, while she paid attention to him.

_Adrien had been called to the throne room to meet with his father. He hadn’t slept in weeks. He hadn’t eaten in days. He couldn’t find a reason to care or go on with Marinette gone. Nothing had made him smile or care about anything in ages._

_“My God, son. Have you not rested in many moons?” Gabriel gripped the arms of his throne and judged his son’s shadowed gaze and slumped posture._

_“Perhaps I would be sleeping had you not executed my future wife’s father and then had her put in the keep!” Adrien crossed his arms and raised his voice at his father._

_“Should I give you the same fate for raising your voice towards me? Your mistress is not your wife and I will never approve of such a union! How dare you give me a bastard child as an heir!” Gabriel scowled at his son and waited for him to back down as he usually did._

_“So be it! I would rather be locked away than be where you sit!” Adrien spit at his father._

_“Guards!” Gabriel called out and Adrien’s eyes widened as guards that he had trusted, had loved, took him to the keep._

“It was then that my father shattered my heart further. When the cracks divided too far, and I went mad in the keep. Word got out that I had perished, but I was locked away like a songbird. Tortured for being a son.” Chat peered back at Marinette with a quivering bottom lip. “You cannot fathom what my father did to me. What I went through.”

“The scar.” Marinette sniffed and wrapped her arms around him to hug him. “The scar wasn’t because I broke your heart.”

“No. My father did.” Chat nuzzled her neck and breathed in her floral scent. “My father broke me. You were a mere steppingstone towards it.”

“When did you hear of the treason and execution?” Marinette pushed him away slightly and watched his eyes shift to a stormy blue.

“I was in my prison cell. Chained and bleeding. Starving and half alive. Weak and ill.” Chat swallowed hard and got lost in his thoughts again.

_Adrien hung from shackles on the wall. His wrists, caked with dried blood, and his bottom lip was swollen. He sniffed and his vision blurred with lack of water and nutrients. His body ached from being tortured and his soul was long gone. The mere fever fueled hallucination of Marinette telling him he was strong and would be alright is the only thing that kept him going._

_A guard unlocked the cell and walked up to him. He glared up at the man and spit at him, believing that it was the end. He was going to be led to the guillotine to be slaughtered like everyone else._

_“His majesty has been trialed for treason and sentenced to death by beheading. You are to claim the throne, your grace.” The guard undid his shackles and spiked collar. Adrien fell to the straw covered ground, weak and exhausted._

_“How am I to trust you?” Adrien licked his chapped lips and panted, trying to grab his bearings._

_“I have a letter.” The guard passed him a letter and Adrien took it with a trembling hand._

_He fell back against the stone wall and kicked a rat that had run past him. He pried the wax seal from it and opened the letter to read it. “I will be damned. He’s dead.”_

_“He is, your grace.” The guard cleared his throat. “We now serve you, your highness.”_

_“No. No, do not call me as such.” Adrien glared at him and got up, grabbing the guard’s throat and squeezing it. “You tortured me! Starved me! Took his side and turned against me!”_

“I went on a killing spree. Anger and rage took me over and within moments my hair faded, and my eyes became this.” Chat gestured towards his pale blue eyes and dull blonde hair. “I sprouted feline ears last and dismissed everyone from the castle but the very few I trusted. My memories disappeared and I forgot about everyone and everything that mattered to me.”

“And you ruled over the kingdom like your father did, if not, worse.” Marinette swallowed hard, challenging him.

“I lost everything. What more could I do?” Chat let more tears fall from his eyes as he searched hers. “What more could I do after being kept in a cell, tortured and starved by my own father’s men? By men I trusted since I was a babe. How? The things they did? The way in which they did it? Could you fathom such a thing?”

Marinette ran her fingers along his cheeks and brought her forehead to his. “I could not fathom what that was like.”

She ran her fingers over his doublet and sighed, “What did they do to create such a scar?”

“I’d rather not speak of it.” Chat sniffed and touched her hand with his to pull it away from his chest.

“Are there more?” Marinette pulled her hands from his to try and unfasten his doublet.

“My back is riddled with scars and I’ve healed from a great many other things. Tis no longer of importance, m’lady.” Chat swallowed hard and felt his doublet slowly become unfastened.

“May I look?” Marinette searched his gaze, and he didn’t speak.

She slowly began to undo each hook and eye until it fell open. Chat swallowed hard and shrugged it off for her. The doublet fell to the floor and she began to grab his tunic, freeing it from his trousers. Chat helped her take it off and he stared at her with an emotionless gaze.

“Satisfied?” Chat watched her slowly run her fingers over his chest.

She touched the round scar on his chest and took in a few others. “I know this one came from a swordfight with Armand.” She ran her fingers along the faded line along his bicep.

“I turned my back.” Chat softly laughed and Marinette blushed at the lovely sound that passed his lips.

“So, you did.” Marinette gave a short laugh and continued to trace her fingers along his skin.

She ran her fingers over a couple other rounded scars along his abs and other pec. “These are new.”

“Iron Maiden.” Chat shivered and she nodded, leaning in to press kisses to each one. She ignored his sounds of protest as she doted on him.

“And this?” She ran her hand up to touch a few around his neck.

“Spiked Collar.” Chat swallowed hard as he remembered the feel of the sharp points poking his neck while he was chained to a wall.

Marinette ran her fingers down to his shoulders and stood up to walk behind him. She froze and flung her hand up to her lips with a gasp as she laid her eyes on his back.

“I understand that you find this disturbing. Allow me to put my tunic back o-” Chat grabbed his tunic, and she grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“No, no. I was not prepared for- for what your back entailed.” Marinette sighed and sat down to run her fingers along the long thick scars. “What happened?”

“Cat’s Paw. Nearly died from infection. Luckily my father died, and they sent for a physician after I was taken from my cell.” Chat licked his lips and shivered when he felt her soft lips press against each thick band. “Would you find it humorous if I came up with Chat Blanc, not only because of these lovely ears, but because of the way in which I nearly perished?”

Marinette shoved him and he laughed again, “Nothing is funny about that, Adrien.”

His eyes flashed to green again, “Just trying to make it a little less serious.”

“You nearly perished. I could have lost you for good. Do you know how grief stricken I would have been? How upset your son would have been?” Marinette got up and sat back in front of him. She froze as she stared into his forest hued eyes. “Your eyes.”

“What?” Chat peered over at the mirror on her vanity and his lips parted. “They’re green.”

“They’re green.” Marinette grabbed his chin and turned his face back towards her own. She ran her fingers up to his white ears and played with them. “Now if we can just get rid of your ears and bring color back to your hair and complexion.”

“You’ll need to do a lot more than dote over my scars, m’lady.” Chat sighed and gave her a saddened expression.

Marinette watched his eyes begin to shift back to blue and she suddenly kissed him, causing him to gasp in a breath while her lips brushed along his. He closed his eyes and pulled her into his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers sank into his hair, gripping the strands and tugging on them. Her thoughts called to him and begged him to bring Adrien back. She couldn’t lose him again. He couldn’t sink back into where he had come from.

His tongue dipped between her lips and he gripped at her harder, while she passionately kissed him back. Her heart raced along with his as he lifted her and carried her over to her bed.

He laid her down gently and crawled over her, searching her sapphire eyes. She licked her lips and reached up to cradle his face in her hand. They stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments.

“Tell me that you knew about the garden.” Marinette swallowed hard and peered at him through her lashes.

“I knew.” Chat took her hand and softly kissed her palm. “I knew what you were trying to accomplish besides reminding me of my mother. I also knew that you lied to get into my castle.” He smirked, and she softly smiled in return.

“What made you remember everything?” Marinette sighed as he leaned down to trail kisses along each side of her slender neck.

“Strangely enough, writing letters and the old bracelet you had given me as a child.” He brought her earlobe between his teeth and nibbled on it.

“And your son?” Marinette gasped as he worked at getting rid of her dress.

“The memory of how we broke the contract.” Chat trailed kisses up her legs, making his way up her body to discard of her stays.

Marinette peered up at him in only her chemise. The skirt of it pooled around her hips and she slowly parted her thighs for him. Chat smirked and peered down at the dark curls between her thighs before dipping down to slowly lick up her wet folds. She gasped and arched her back as he swirled his tongue around her swollen clit. He ran his hands around her thighs and yanked her down to lavish her sex with his warm mouth.

She ran a hand down to sink her fingers into his hair, tugging on it and finding his cat ears missing. A smile took over her lips and she grabbed his arms to yank him back up her body. She ran her fingers through his hair and tugged him down to kiss him hard.

She broke the kiss and whispered against his swollen lips, “Make love to me, Adrien.”

He softly moaned at his name rather than groaned at it with disdain. Something about it passing her lips was comforting rather than upsetting. Like he was happy to be Adrien Agreste for once in years.

Chat kissed her passionately, tilting his head from one side to the other as he slipped a hand between them to undo his trousers. He freed himself and grabbed her hip to lift her from the bed, lining his hardened length with her warm entrance. He broke the kiss and she peered at him with a sultry expression, while he teased her with the tip of his cock. His precum soaked her folds and made her moan as he teased her further with slow strokes along it.

“ _Please, Adrien,_ ” Marinette quietly begged him as he slowly dipped the tip into her wet sex.

Both closed their eyes and moaned as he slipped into her with a few gentle thrusts. She wrapped her legs around his hips, and he cradled her against his body as he thrusted into her. She curled her fingers around his hair and held him close as they moved their hips against one another.

Chat pulled away enough to place loving kisses on her lips, getting lost in her and nothing else. The world and past seemed to disappear and it was like he was back in the garden with her beneath the magical tree. Like nothing else mattered, but them. He had her back, and he would never let her go.

Marinette opened her eyes and watched his hair become golden again. Tears fell from her eyes and he peered at her in worry.

“What’s wrong? Are you well?” Chat brushed his fingers along her cheeks and into her dark hair. “Shall I stop?”

“No, no. Keep going.” Marinette tugged him back down into a kiss and he continued to pump into her.

Her toes curled and her breath caught as she began to tremble from her head to her toes. Chat moaned as her walls clenched around him, coaxing him along with her. He was so close and so was she. Their moans mirrored one another and within moments both of them fell over the edge and came.

He thrusted into her, releasing and filling her with each blissful movement. She panted and moaned against his lips. He slowed down and softly laughed, laying on top of her.

Marinette giggled and he pulled away to search her satisfied expression. “I love you.”

“And I you, m’lady.” Chat leaned down and kissed her once more. “I would love to lay here with you until the morn, but Prince Chat Blanc is probably needed.”

“I think you mean, Prince Adrien.” Marinette smiled and his eyes widened.

“What?” Chat pulled out of her and fixed his trousers as he made his way to her vanity.

He raised his hands up to his face and looked himself over, taking in his emerald gaze and golden hair. “What?” He turned to look at Marinette, who had gotten off the bed and was walking towards him.

Marinette slowly kneeled in front of him, “Prince Adrien.”

He breathed hard and walked over to her, taking her hand and bringing her to her feet. “You saved me.”

Marinette shook her head, “I merely loved you. You saved yourself, Adrien. You accepted yourself. You let go and became free.”

Chat sniffed and picked her up to swing her around. She giggled and kissed him hard.

He broke the kiss and warmly smiled, “I wish to see our son.”

“I shall write to Alya right away, then.” Marinette touched his cheeks and he set her down.

*******

Alya stepped out of the carriage and gestured to the little boy still inside. “C’mon Louis.”

“Alya!” Marinette ran up to her carriage and wrapped her arms around her best friend. “You made it.”

“So, we did. If only little Louis would get out of the carriage,” Alya mumbled and Marinette giggled.

“C’mon, love bug.” Marinette held her hand out and Adrien peered with wide eyes as a small boy with messy golden hair and green eyes stepped out from the carriage.

“Why aren’t you a look for sore eyes?” Alya walked up to Adrien and curtsied, “Prince.”

“Adrien is fine.” He cleared his throat, still trying to get used to being known as Adrien and not Chat Blanc.

Marinette walked up with her son in her arms. “And this is Louis Athanase Agreste, your son.”

She ruffled his hair and giggled as Louis tried to make her hand stop messing with his hair. “Spitting image, am I right?”

Adrien warmly smiled and held his hands out for his son. Marinette passed him Louis and he took him in. “Hello, Louis.”

“Papa?” Louis searched his gaze and blushed, a bit shy.

“Mm-hm. I apologize for not being around, but I promise to make it up to you.” Adrien warmly smiled at his son and tickled him in the side, causing the child to giggle and squeal. “How about a bit of sparring, hm?”

“I bring your son here and he’s only been here merely a moment and they’re already off to battle.” Alya rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head and laughing.

Marinette shrugged and interlocked her arm with her best friend’s. “While the boys play, shall we go in and have a drink?”

“Sounds lovely,” Alya giggled and followed her friend inside.

Adrien set Louis down and raced him to the training grounds, letting his son win. He laughed as his son ran into him and he grabbed him, falling to the ground with him held above him. “Oh! You won against the evil dragon!”

Louis giggled and squealed as he was lowered so that Adrien could kiss his rosy cheeks. “Now, shall we try a bit of sword fighting? Have you trained at all?”

“The boy is merely four.” Alya laughed as she headed towards a bench to sit with Marinette to watch them.

“Never too early to learn.” Adrien grabbed a couple wooden swords and walked over to stand behind his son, helping him grip it properly.

“Someone is going to wind up wounded and my bets are on Adrien.” Alya giggled and brought her wine to her lips.

“Alya,” Marinette giggled and smacked her friend in the arm before turning her attention to the two boys.

“So, will you become a princess then?” Alya pried for more details. “Is there another heir on the way? Will he claim Louis as his?”

“I am unsure.” Marinette ran her hand along her stomach in thought.

Adrien laughed and peered over at Marinette with a smile before jumping back, nearly being hit by their son. She shook her head and giggled at the two fighting.

“He was always bad at not turning his back.” Alya snorted and brought her glass to her lips.

“He really was.” Marinette took a sip from her own cup.

“Well, one day I am sure that we shall know if you are with child again and if you become princess of France,” Alya shrugged.

“You mean Queen?” Marinette corrected her and she nodded.

“Queen of France.” Alya knocked her glass along Marinette’s before they drank.

“Never thought I would see the day,” Marinette sighed and gasped as Louis fell on the grass.

Adrien held his hand out to his son and helped him up, crouching down to look him over. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, papa.” Louis smiled and Adrien nodded.

“Are you thirsty, hungry?” Adrien searched his gaze and watched him nod. “Well then, shall we go get something to eat?”

Louis nodded and took Adrien’s outstretched hand. Marinette and Alya stood up to follow them inside. Adrien led Louis to the kitchen and grabbed a bread roll and an apple.

“Louis also has become quite the bread and apple thief.” Alya crossed her arms over her chest and Adrien laughed.

“Is that so?” Adrien ruffled Louis’s hair and pulled out a dagger to slice the apple for him.

“Not-uh,” Louis argued as he took the slice of apple from Adrien.

“I was the very same.” Adrien winked at his son and cut off a slice of apple for himself.

“Was?” Marinette raised an eyebrow at him, and Adrien laughed.

“Okay, am.” Adrien rolled his eyes and continued to share the apple with his son.

“Alya, would you enjoy helping me make a meal for everyone?” Marinette smiled at Alya and watched her nod.

“I supposed I could do that.” Alya set her wine down and grabbed a basket with Marinette to go out to the field and area where livestock was held.

“Would you like to see the rest of the castle, Louis?” Adrien crouched down and watched his son nod. “Come along then.”

*******

Marinette, Adrien, and Louis stood in the throne room surrounded by people from near and far. Adrien walked up to the bishop and took the items from him, bowing down onto his knee to receive the crown. He walked up the stairs to sit on his late father’s throne. The room erupted in celebration to announce him as the King of France.

Marinette warmly smiled and walked up to receive her crown and Alya helped her with her skirts as she stepped up the stairs. She took her seat in the throne beside Adrien and the room erupted again to announce her as the Queen of France.

After everything had settled, Adrien and Marinette walked over to their son to christen him as the Prince of France, declaring Lady Alya as his godmother.

A party was thrown to celebrate the new rule over France and their new prince. Marinette sat beside Adrien and watched their son play with a little girl. She smiled, remembering being a little girl and playing with Adrien.

She leaned over and whispered, “I missed my cycle.”

“What?” Adrien peered over at her in shock.

“There was no blood this morning on our sheets.” Marinette smiled and touched her stomach. “I had a physician called.”

Adrien searched her expression. “Tell me you are with child again.”

Marinette raked her teeth along her bottom lip and nodded. “I am.”

Adrien suddenly became excited and struggled to not kiss her in front of their guests. “I want to kiss you, but I shan’t because of guests.”

“We could excuse ourselves.” Marinette spoke quiet enough for only him to hear.

Adrien smirked and waved over a guard. He whispered something to him, and Marinette watched the man leave.

“Shall we, m’lady?” Adrien held his hand out to her.

“What about Louis?” Marinette placed her hand in his.

“Alya is being told to care for him at this precise moment.” Adrien gestured towards them with his head.

Marinette watched the guard speak with Alya and her best friend nodded towards her.

“The guest shouldn’t notice we took our leave. We shall be back before the next dance.” Adrien reassured her and Marinette giggled, letting him take her away to celebrate the news.

**The End**


	5. Playlist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Forgot to add the playlist like I usually do with fics. LOL**

[ **Hello My Old Heart by The Oh Hellos** ](https://youtu.be/AObC5VKMdEc)

[ **From Eden by Hozier** ](https://youtu.be/JmWbBUxSNUU)

[ **Guillotine by Jon Bellion ft. Travis Mendes** ](https://youtu.be/58p4OTAP91c)

[ **Milk & Honey by Jessarae** ](https://youtu.be/Zkl7zd026GU)

[ **Stones Around the Sun by Lewis Watson** ](https://youtu.be/R2nZnSot-is)

[ **Featherstone by The Paper Kites** ](https://youtu.be/KjVyAgIa7-U)

[ **Haze by Amber Run** ](https://youtu.be/hL0hwXltDog)

[ **Top of the World by Patty Griffin** ](https://youtu.be/MK4xyJhIAm4)

[ **The Kitchen by Tow'rs** ](https://youtu.be/-iQu4EXLFBs)

[ **Ten Goodbyes by Tim Atlas** ](https://youtu.be/Uj-lhSWljqo)

[ **Rain Clouds by The Arcadian Wild** ](https://youtu.be/OR4UCbM-bOs)

[ **Honey, Make Me Healthy by Flannel Graph** ](https://youtu.be/1y_KlLcE1Vo)

[ **Secrets (Cellar Door) by Radical Face** ](https://youtu.be/CMUBLE1CT5A)

[ **Bow Down by Rain Paris** ](https://youtu.be/H9_7vx8EkT0)

[ **Something to Believe In by Young the Giant** ](https://youtu.be/1iBlEDsRtCE)


End file.
